Skipping a Hurdle: Sox2 and Adult Dermal Stem Cells

December 2009 in “ Cell stem cell ”

Juliane C. Kellner, Pierre A. Coulombe

Sox2 dermal papilla fibroblasts adult stem cells hair follicles skin-derived precursors SKPs hair follicle morphogenesis dermal repair regeneration alopecia chronic wounds stem cells hair growth skin precursors hair formation skin repair hair loss wound healing

TLDR Sox2-expressing cells can help grow hair and heal skin.

Biernaskie et al. (2009) demonstrated that Sox2-expressing dermal papilla fibroblasts functioned as adult stem cells capable of initiating hair follicles, differentiating into various dermal cell types, and producing skin-derived precursors (SKPs). These cells induced hair follicle morphogenesis, returned to their niche, and contributed to dermal repair and regeneration, suggesting potential clinical applications for treating alopecia and chronic wounds.