TLDR Human hair follicle stem cells can be turned into red blood cells.
The study demonstrated that human hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells (hHFMSCs) could be transdifferentiated into mature, enucleated red blood cells (RBCs) by enforcing the expression of the transcription factor OCT4 and treating with hematopoietic cytokines. The resulting RBCs expressed both fetal and adult hemoglobin chains and underwent multiple maturation events, indicating their potential as a source for patient-specific transfusions. This novel approach suggested that hHFMSCs could serve as an alternative source for generating RBCs, offering significant implications for regenerative medicine and blood transfusion therapies.
71 citations,
May 2007 in “The FASEB journal” Human hair follicles produce and respond to erythropoietin, helping protect against stress.
26 citations,
July 2021 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology” The review suggests that a special cell-derived treatment shows promise for various skin conditions and hair growth but needs more research for confirmation.
16 citations,
March 2021 in “Frontiers in cell and developmental biology” A new method using Y-27632 improves the growth and quality of human hair follicle stem cells for tissue engineering and therapy.
23 citations,
May 2019 in “Stem cell research & therapy” iPSC-derived stem cells on a special membrane can help repair full-thickness skin defects.
3 citations,
May 2013 in “International journal of molecular sciences” Epidermal stem cells show promise for treating orthopedic injuries and diseases.
73 citations,
August 2011 in “Stem Cell Research” Human hair follicle stem cells can turn into multiple cell types but lose some of this ability after being grown in the lab for a long time.
