Versican Expression by Dermal Papilla-Regenerated Hair Follicles: A Promising Tool for Hair-Regrowth Products

The document reports on a study that investigated the role of versican, a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan molecule, in hair follicle induction. The study demonstrated that versican is specifically expressed in the anagen onset of dermal papilla cells, suggesting a functional role in hair induction. Transgenic lines with reporter genes under versican promoter control were used to isolate dermal papilla cells, which were shown to induce hair growth in a skin reconstitution assay. However, the ability to induce hair growth and versican expression were lost with cell passage in culture. Transfection of versican cDNAs into passaged dermal papilla cells partially restored their hair inductivity. Additionally, the hair growth-promoting compound cyclosporin A was found to upregulate versican expression. These findings highlight the pivotal role of versican in hair induction and suggest a novel screening approach for hair growth-promoting compounds by monitoring versican expression.