Stress-Induced Premature Senescence of Dermal Papilla Cells Compromises Hair Follicle Epithelial-Mesenchymal Interaction

The 2017 study explored the impact of premature aging of dermal papilla cells on hair follicle aging. The cells were subjected to H2O2 to induce premature aging, and their proliferation, apoptosis, gene expression, and protein secretion were examined. The findings revealed that these cells were more resistant to oxidative stress-induced apoptosis than dermal fibroblasts. However, the surviving cells exhibited signs of aging, lost the capacity to stimulate new hair follicles, encouraged epidermal differentiation, inhibited follicular differentiation, and suppressed hair follicle stem cell growth. They also generated higher levels of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, which hindered clonal keratinocyte growth in vitro and obstructed the transition from telogen to anagen in vivo. The study concluded that stress-induced premature aging of dermal papilla cells can contribute to hair follicle aging due to compromised epithelial-mesenchymal interaction.