TLDR Hair follicles help attract immune cells to the skin during stress.
The study investigated how stress-induced chemokine production by hair follicles regulated dendritic cell (DC) trafficking in the skin. It found that hair follicles produced specific chemokines, such as CCL2, CCL20, and CCL8, which influenced the recruitment and repopulation of Langerhans cells (LCs) and pre-LCs. Hair follicles were essential for LC entry into the epidermis, as pre-LCs did not infiltrate hairless skin. The research highlighted the complex interactions between hair follicles and the immune system, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for conditions like alopecia and other skin diseases.
36 citations,
April 2010 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Canine hair follicles have stem cells similar to human hair follicles, useful for studying hair disorders.
52 citations,
March 2010 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Alopecia areata shows a unique type 1 interferon signature, suggesting potential treatment by targeting this pathway.
170 citations,
December 2009 in “Histopathology” The conclusion is that accurate diagnosis of different types of hair loss requires good teamwork between skin doctors and lab experts.
99 citations,
April 1998 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Hair follicles help skin immune recovery after UVB exposure.
December 2012 in “Journal of dermatological science” Hair follicles help attract immune cells to minor skin injuries.
33 citations,
January 2018 in “Blood” Ruxolitinib helps protect skin stem cells and keeps skin healthy in mice with skin GVHD.
96 citations,
April 2017 in “Oncotarget” Smaller nanoemulsions can penetrate skin and hair follicles better, which may be useful for delivering drugs and vaccines through the skin.
25 citations,
April 2021 in “The EMBO Journal” Hair follicle stem cells help maintain skin health and could improve skin replacement therapies.
1160 citations,
November 2018 in “Physiological Reviews” The document concludes that better targeted treatments are needed for wound healing, and single-cell technologies may improve cell-based therapies.
