Valproic Acid Boosts Hair Follicle Stem Cell Resilience to Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation Through Autophagy Induction and AKT/mTOR Suppression

December 2025 in “ Scientific Reports ”

Fatemeh Keshavarzi, Mohammad Saied Salehi, Sareh Pandamooz, Sanaz Dastghaib, Morvarid Siri, Mehdi Dianatpour, Afshin Borhani‐Haghighi, Zohreh Mostafavi‐Pour, Pooneh Mokarram

valproic acid hair follicle stem cells autophagy AKT/mTOR signaling pathway autophagy inhibitor VPA HFSCs

Studysummary This study found that preconditioning human hair follicle-derived stem cells with valproic acid enhanced their survival and migration in ischemic-like conditions by activating autophagy and inhibiting the AKT/mTOR pathway, suggesting this approach could improve stem cell therapies for ischemic stroke.

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This study explores the potential of valproic acid (VPA) to enhance the survival and migration of human hair follicle-derived stem cells (HFSCs) under ischemic-like conditions, which are typically challenging for stem cell therapies. By preconditioning HFSCs with VPA, researchers observed increased autophagic activity and suppression of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, leading to improved cell viability and migration capacity. The study highlights that these benefits are dependent on autophagy, as they were negated by an autophagy inhibitor. The findings suggest that VPA preconditioning could improve the effectiveness of stem cell therapies for ischemic stroke by enhancing stem cell resilience in hostile environments.

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research Hair Follicle Stem Cells Promote Epidermal Regeneration Under Expanded Condition

February 2024 in “Frontiers in physiology”

This study examines the role of hair follicle stem cells in epidermal regeneration during skin soft tissue expansion, proposing a potential method for their cellular and molecular regulation.

research Autophagy Induces Hair Follicle Stem Cell Activation and Hair Follicle Regeneration by Regulating Glycolysis

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This study found that activating autophagy in hair follicle stem cells can promote hair growth by shifting their metabolism to glycolysis, while inhibiting it led to delayed hair cycle progression.

The Beneficial Effects of Chick Embryo Extract Preconditioning on Hair Follicle Stem Cells: A Promising Strategy to Generate Schwann Cells

research The Beneficial Effects of Chick Embryo Extract Preconditioning on Hair Follicle Stem Cells: A Promising Strategy to Generate Schwann Cells

5 citations , January 2023 in “Cell proliferation”

This study reported that supplementing rat hair follicle stem cells with chick embryo extract enhanced their migration and proliferation, possibly promoting differentiation toward Schwann cells.

research Therapeutic Potential of Hair Follicle-Derived Stem Cell Intranasal Transplantation in a Rat Model of Ischemic Stroke

8 citations , July 2022 in “BMC neuroscience”

In this study, intranasal delivery of hair follicle-derived stem cells improved neurological function and reduced brain damage in a rat model of ischemic stroke.

research Hair Follicle Stem Cells: In Vitro and In Vivo Neural Differentiation

25 citations , January 2015 in “World journal of stem cells”

This review discusses the potential of hair follicle stem cells as a novel source for cell therapy in neurodegenerative disorders, but it reports no new clinical results.

Canine Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells: Characterization and Potential as Therapy Candidate for a Large Animal Model of Spinal Cord Injury

research Canine Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells: Characterization and Potential as Therapy Candidate for a Large Animal Model of Spinal Cord Injury

17 citations , January 2014 in “Stem Cells Translational Medicine”

This study reports that epidermal neural crest stem cells from dogs (cEPI-NCSC) can generate neural crest derivatives and may offer a new cell-based therapy for canine spinal cord injury, with potential as a model for human treatments.