TERT/BMI1-Transgenic Human Dermal Papilla Cells Enhance Murine Hair Follicle Formation In Vivo

The study investigated the role of TERT and BMI1 in human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs), which are crucial for hair follicle formation. The researchers found that hDPCs transfected with both TERT and BMI1 showed improved cell proliferation and hair inductivity. The expressions of VCAN, CTNNB1, LEF1, FGF7, and VEGFA were also elevated in these cells. The study concluded that overexpression of both TERT and BMI1 extends the lifespan of cultured hDPCs and improves their hair inducing ability on mouse hair follicles. The minimum number of hDPCs necessary for hair induction was estimated to be 5 x 10^5. These findings suggest that introducing both TERT and BMI1 into hDPCs is important for hair follicle production.