Hair of the Mouse: A Skin Bacteria Cocktail Gets Follicles Back on Their Feet

The research by Wang et al. (2021) found that skin bacteria, specifically Streptococcus and Staphylococcus, play a significant role in hair follicle regeneration after skin wounding through keratinocyte-intrinsic IL-1R1 signaling. The study showed that hair regrowth was considerably slower in germ-free mice compared to those with a normal microbial population. The immune signaling pathway MyD88 and the cytokine IL-1β were identified as key players in this process. In a human trial, wounds treated with an antibiotic had slower healing and less Staphylococcus compared to those treated with Vaseline, suggesting that skin bacteria can speed up the healing of clinically uninfected wounds in humans. This research highlights the beneficial role of skin bacteria in wound healing and hair follicle regeneration.