Emerging Role of Dermal White Adipose Tissue in Modulating Hair Follicle Development During Aging

October 2021 in “ Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ”

Jian Chen, Zhexiang Fan, De-Cong Zhu, Yilong Guo, Ke Yao, Damao Dai, Zhi Guo, Yong Miao, Qian Qu

dermal white adipose tissue dWAT hair follicle development aging inflammation inflammatory cytokines CXCL1 hair loss veratric acid Vitamin A hair follicle regenerative behavior fat tissue cytokines

TLDR Fat tissue under the skin affects hair growth and aging; reducing its inflammation may help treat hair loss.

The study "Emerging Role of Dermal White Adipose Tissue in Modulating Hair Follicle Development During Aging" investigated the role of dermal white adipose tissue (dWAT) in hair follicle development and aging. The research, involving 20 young mice (2 months old), 20 aged mice (18 months old), and hair follicles from 12 human participants, found that as we age, changes in dWAT, specifically increased inflammation, can lead to hair loss. The inflammation is characterized by elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines such as CXCL1, which was found to inhibit hair growth. The study also found that reducing inflammation in dWAT, for example by injecting high-level veratric acid or Vitamin A treatment, stimulated hair follicle regenerative behavior in aged mice and increased hair weight. This suggests that manipulating dWAT could potentially be a new therapeutic strategy for treating hair loss and promoting hair growth.

View this study on frontiersin.org →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Cited in this study

17 / 17 results

research Dermal Adipose Tissue Secretes HGF to Promote Human Hair Growth and Pigmentation

29 citations , July 2021 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Fat under the skin releases HGF which helps hair grow and gain color.

research A Subset of TREM2+ Dermal Macrophages Secretes Oncostatin M to Maintain Hair Follicle Stem Cell Quiescence and Inhibit Hair Growth

101 citations , April 2019 in “Cell Stem Cell”

Certain immune cells in the skin release a protein that stops hair growth by keeping hair stem cells inactive.

research Emerging Nonmetabolic Functions of Skin Fat

65 citations , January 2018 in “Nature Reviews Endocrinology”

Skin fat has important roles in hair growth, skin repair, immune defense, and aging, and could be targeted for skin and hair treatments.

research Identification of Functional Patterns of Androgenetic Alopecia Using Transcriptome Profiling in Distinct Locations of Hair Follicles

8 citations , November 2017 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

AGA linked to inflammation, stress, fibrosis, and disturbed hair follicle stem cells.

research Macrophages Induce AKT/β-Catenin-Dependent Lgr5+ Stem Cell Activation and Hair Follicle Regeneration Through TNF

117 citations , March 2017 in “Nature Communications”

Macrophages help regrow hair by activating stem cells using AKT/β-catenin and TNF.

research Differential Expression Between Human Dermal Papilla Cells from Balding and Non-Balding Scalps Reveals New Candidate Genes for Androgenetic Alopecia

46 citations , August 2016 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

New genes found linked to balding, may help develop future treatments.

research Aging, Alopecia, and Stem Cells

42 citations , February 2016 in “Science”

The document concludes that both internal stem cell factors and external influences like the environment and hormones affect hair loss and aging, with potential treatments focusing on these areas.

research Hair Follicle Aging Is Driven by Transepidermal Elimination of Stem Cells via COL17A1 Proteolysis

242 citations , February 2016 in “Science”

Hair loss and aging are caused by the breakdown of a key protein in hair stem cells.

research Regenerative Hair Waves in Aging Mice and Extra-Follicular Modulators Follistatin, Dkk1, and Sfrp4

75 citations , August 2014 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Aging mice have slower hair regeneration due to changes in signal balance, but the environment, not stem cell loss, controls this, suggesting treatments could focus on environmental factors.

research FGF5 Is a Crucial Regulator of Hair Length in Humans

136 citations , July 2014 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”

FGF5 gene mutations cause unusually long eyelashes by affecting hair growth regulation.

research Age-Associated Inflammation Inhibits Epidermal Stem Cell Function

144 citations , September 2012 in “Genes & development”

Aging causes skin stem cells to work less effectively.

research Adipocyte Lineage Cells Contribute to the Skin Stem Cell Niche to Drive Hair Cycling

499 citations , September 2011 in “Cell”

Fat-related cells are important for initiating hair growth.

research Nerve-Derived Sonic Hedgehog Defines a Niche for Hair Follicle Stem Cells Capable of Becoming Epidermal Stem Cells

396 citations , May 2011 in “Cell stem cell”

Nerve signals are crucial for hair follicle stem cells to become skin stem cells and help in wound healing.

research Adenosine Stimulates Fibroblast Growth Factor-7 Gene Expression Via Adenosine A2b Receptor Signaling in Dermal Papilla Cells

66 citations , June 2007 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

Adenosine may promote hair growth by increasing FGF-7 levels in dermal papilla cells.

research Human Scalp Hair Follicles Are Both a Target and a Source of Prolactin, Which Serves as an Autocrine and/or Paracrine Promoter of Apoptosis-Driven Hair Follicle Regression

128 citations , March 2006 in “American Journal of Pathology”

Prolactin contributes to hair loss by promoting hair follicle shrinkage and cell death.

research Control of Hair Growth and Follicle Size by VEGF-Mediated Angiogenesis

520 citations , February 2001 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation”

VEGF helps hair grow and determines follicle size by increasing blood vessel growth.

research Melanogenesis During the Anagen-Catagen-Telogen Transformation of the Murine Hair Cycle

161 citations , June 1994 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

Hair stops producing melanin as it transitions from the growth phase to the resting phase.