Stromal Re-Organization in Hair Follicle Development and Cancer Suppression

This study investigated a novel approach to cancer treatment by targeting the tumor stroma, specifically fibroblasts, to re-organize it into a structure that may suppress cancer. The research focused on basal cell carcinoma, which lacks dermal condensates/papillae in its stroma, unlike benign follicular tumors. The study found that dermal condensate cells in embryonic mouse skin originate from the Wnt-active upper dermis and form primarily through migration rather than proliferation. Inhibiting Sonic Hedgehog and myosin-2B disrupted normal dermal condensate formation, indicating their role in this process. The findings suggested that promoting dermal condensate formation in the stroma of basal cell carcinoma through Sonic Hedgehog signaling activation could potentially induce differentiation and regression of the carcinoma, proposing a new cancer treatment modality.