Role of Bulge Cells in Wound Healing: Possible Implications for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

The study investigated the role of hair follicle bulge cells in wound healing and their potential implications for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Researchers used genetically modified mice to target and ablate bulge cells, observing that their loss led to hair follicle damage and dermal scarring, while the epidermis survived independently for several months. Under normal conditions, bulge cells did not contribute to epidermal maintenance, but they were crucial for epidermal regeneration after wounding, as evidenced by the proliferation and differentiation of bulge cell progeny in the re-epithelialized area. The findings suggested that aberrant proliferation and inappropriate activation of these stem cells might be involved in HS, and the K15-crePR1 transgenic mouse model could be a valuable tool for further studying the role of hair follicle stem cells in HS.