Intensive Stress Impedes Hair Follicle Growth Through Triggering Cell Cycle Arrest of Hair Follicle Stem Cells

March 2025 in “ The FASEB Journal ”

Xinhui Wang, Yumiao Lin, Lingchen Yan, Binqi Wu, K. Zhu, Xusheng Wang, Zhongjie Liu

hair follicle growth hair follicle stem cells sympathetic nervous system noradrenaline cAMP signaling pathway cell cycle arrest cyclin D1 cyclin D2 CDK4

TLDR Intense stress stops hair growth by halting hair follicle stem cell activity.

This study investigates the impact of intensive stress on hair follicle growth using two stress paradigms in mice: repeated resiniferatoxin injections and physical restraint. The research found that intensive stress significantly inhibits hair growth by arresting the cell cycle of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) through the sympathetic nervous system and the noradrenaline (NA)/cAMP signaling pathway. This was evidenced by decreased cell activity, reduced expression of cyclin D1/2 and CDK4, and changes in cell cycle phases. The findings provide a mechanistic insight into how stress impedes hair follicle growth, highlighting the role of the sympathetic nervous system in this process.

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