Recent progress in hair follicle stem cell markers and their regulatory roles

Hair follicle stem cells(HFSCs)in the bulge are a multipotent adult stem cell population.They can periodically give rise to new HFs and even regenerate the epidermis and sebaceous glands during wound healing.An increasing number of biomarkers have been used to isolate,label,and trace HFSCs in recent years.Considering more detailed data from single-cell transcriptomics technology,we mainly focus on the important HFSC molecular markers and their regulatory roles in this review.

miR-21 promotes the differentiation of hair folliclederived neural crest stem cells into Schwann cells

Hair follicle-derived neural crest stem cells can be induced to differentiate into Schwann cells in vivo and in vitro. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism during cell differentiation remains poorly understood. This study isolated neural crest stem cells from human hair folli-cles and induced them to differentiate into Schwann cells. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that microRNA （miR）-21 expression was gradually increased during the differentiation of neural crest stem cells into Schwann cells. After transfection with the miR-21 agonist （agomir-21）, the differentiation capacity of neural crest stem cells was enhanced. By contrast, after transfection with the miR-21 antagonist （antagomir-21）, the differentiation capacity was attenuated. Further study results showed that SOX-2 was an effective target of miR-21. Without compromising SOX2 mRNA expression, miR-21 can down-regulate SOX protein expression by binding to the 3′-UTR of miR-21 mRNA. Knocking out the SOX2 gene from the neural crest stem cells significantly reversed the antagomir-21 inhibition of neural crest stem cells differentiating into Schwann cells. The results suggest that miR-21 expression was increased during the differentiation of neural crest stem cells into Schwann cells and miR-21 promoted the differentiation through down-regu-lating SOX protein expression by binding to the 3′-UTR of SOX2 mRNA.

Rat hair follicle stem cells differentiate and promote recovery following spinal cord injury

Emerging studies of treating spinal cord injury （SCI） with adult stem cells led us to evaluate the effects of transplantation of hair follicle stem cells in rats with a compression-induced spinal cord lesion. Here, we proposed a hypothesis that rat hair follicle stem cell transplantation can promote the recovery of injured spinal cord. Compression-induced spinal cord injury was induced in Wistar rats in this study. The bulge area of the rat vibdssa follicles was isolated, cultivated and characterized with nestin as a stem cell marker. 5-Bromo-2＇-deoxyuridine （BrdU） labeled bulge stem cells were transplanted into rats with spinal cord injury. Immunohistochemical staining results showed that some of the grafted cells could survive and differentiate into oligodendrocytes （receptor-interacting protein positive cells） and neuronal-like cells （~lll-tubulin positive cells） at 3 weeks after transplantation. In addition, recovery of hind limb locomotor function in spinal cord injury rats at 8 weeks following cell transplantation was assessed using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan （BBB） locomotor rating scale. The results demon- strate that the grafted hair follicle stem cells can survive for a long time period in vivo and differentiate into neuronal- and glial-like cells. These results suggest that hair follicle stem cells can promote the recovery of spinal cord injury.

Human hair follicle-derived mesenchymal stem cells:Isolation,expansion,and differentiation

Hair follicles are easily accessible skin appendages that protect against cold and potential injuries.Hair follicles contain various pools of stem cells,such as epithelial,melanocyte,and mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)that continuously self-renew,differentiate,regulate hair growth,and maintain skin homeostasis.Recently,MSCs derived from the dermal papilla or dermal sheath of the human hair follicle have received attention because of their accessibility and broad differentiation potential.In this review,we describe the applications of human hair follicle-derived MSCs(hHF-MSCs)in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.We have described protocols for isolating hHF-MSCs from human hair follicles and their culture condition in detail.We also summarize strategies for maintaining hHF-MSCs in a highly proliferative but undifferentiated state after repeated in vitro passages,including supplementation of growth factors,3D suspension culture technology,and 3D aggregates of MSCs.In addition,we report the potential of hHF-MSCs in obtaining induced smooth muscle cells and tissue-engineered blood vessels,regenerated hair follicles,induced red blood cells,and induced pluripotent stem cells.In summary,the abundance,convenient accessibility,and broad differentiation potential make hHF-MSCs an ideal seed cell source of regenerative medical and cell therapy.

Hair follicle stem cells: In vitro and in vivo neural differentiation

Hair follicle stem cells(HFSCs) normally give rise to keratinocytes, sebocytes, and transient amplifying progenitor cells. Along with the capacity to proliferate rapidly, HFSCs provide the basis for establishing a putative source of stem cells for cell therapy. HFSCs are multipotent stem cells originating from the bulge area. The importance of these cells arises from two important characteristics, distinguishing them from all other adult stem cells. First, they are accessible and proliferate for long periods. Second, they are multipotent, possessing the ability to differentiate into mesodermal and ectodermal cell types. In addition to a developmental capacity in vitro, HFSCs display an ability to form differentiated cells in vivo. During the last two decades, numerous studies have led to the development of an appropriate culture condition for producing various cell lineages from HFSCs. Therefore, these stem cells are considered as a novel source for cell therapy of a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders. This review presents the current status of human, rat, and mouse HFSCs from both the cellular and molecular biology and cell therapy perspectives. The first section of this review highlights the importance of HFSCs and in vitro differentiation, while the final section emphasizes the significance of cell differentiation in vivo.

NANOG Alleviates the Damage of Human Hair Follicle Mesenchymal Stem Cells Caused by H_2O_2 through Activation of AKT Pathway

Objective To explore the protective effect of NANOG against hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2)-induced cell damage in the human hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells(hHF-MSCs). Methods NANOG was expressed from a lentiviral vector, pLVX-IRES-ZsGreen. NANOG hHF-MSCs and vector hHF-MSCs were treated with 400 μmol/L hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2) for 2 h, the cell survival rate, cell morphology, ROS production, apoptosis and expression of AKT, ERK, and p21 were determined and compared. Results Our results showed that NANOG could activate AKT and upregulate the expression of p-AKT, but not p-ERK. When treated with 400 μmol/L H_2O_2, NANOG hHF-MSCs showed higher cell survival rate, lower ROS production and apoptosis, higher expression of p-AKT, higher ratio of p-AKT/AKT. Conclusion Our results suggest that NANOG could protect hHF-MSCs against cell damage caused by H_2O_2 through activating AKT signaling pathway.

Detailed Histological Structure of Human Hair Follicle Bulge Region at Different Ages: A Visible Niche for Nesting Adult Stem Cells

In the bulge region of the hair follicle, a densely and concentrically packed cell mass is encircled by the arrector pili muscle (APM), which offers a specilized microenvironment (niche) for housing heterogeneous adult stem cells. However, the detailed histological architecture and the cellular composition of the bulge region warrants intensive study and may have implications for the regulation of hair follicle growth regulation. This study was designed to define the gene-expression pro-files of putative stem cells and lineage-specific precursors in the mid-portions of plucked hair follicles prepared according to the presence of detectable autofluorescence. The structure was also characterized by using a consecutive sectioning technique. The bulge region of the hair follicle with autofluorescence was precisely excised by employing a micro-dissection procedure. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to identify the gene expression profiles specific for epithelial, melanocyte and stromal stem cells in the bulge region of the hair follicle visualized by autofluorescence. The morphology and its age-dependent changes of bulge region of the hair follicles with autofluorescence segment were also examined in 9 scalp skin specimens collected from patients aged 30 weeks to 75 years, by serial sectioning and immuno-staining. Gene expression profile analysis revealed that there were cells with mRNA transcripts of DctHiTyraseLo-Tyrp1LoMC1RLoMITFLo/K15Hi/NPNTHi in the bulge region of the hair follicle with autofluorescence segments, which differed from the patterns in hair bulbs. Small cell-protrusions that sprouted from the outer root sheath (ORS) were clearly observed at the APM inserting level in serial sections of hair follicles by immunohistological staining, which were characteristically replete with K15+/K19+expressing cells. Likewise, the muscle bundles of APM positive for smooth muscle actin intimately encircled these cell-protrusions, and the occurrence frequency of the cell-protrusions was increased in fetal scalp skin compared with adult scalp skin. This study provided the evidence that the cell-protrusions occurring at the ORS relative to the APM insertion are more likely to be characteristic of the visible niches that are filled with abundant stem cells. The occurrence frequency of these cell-protrusions was significantly increased in fetal scalp skin samples (128%) as compared with the scalp skins of younger (49.4%) and older (25.4%) adults (P<0.01), but difference in the frequency between the two adult groups were not significant. These results indicated that these cell-protrusions function as a niche house for the myriad stem cells and/or precursors to meet the needs of the development of hair follicles in an embryo. The micro-dissection used in this study was simple and reliable in excising the bulge region of the hair follicle with autofluorescence segments dependent on their autofluorescence is of value for the study of stem cell culture.

Identification of Bulge Stem Cells in Mouse and Human Hair Follicles

The skin contains various populaions of stem cells, but its characterization has been hampered by lack of markers and unclear location. The hair follicle has a niche for stem cells called a “bulge” which acts as a reservoir of multipotent stem cells. In the study reported here, an immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analysis was performed on mouse and human tissues in order to determine the possible presence of stem cells of hair follicle through cytokeratin 15 (CK15), CD34, and CD200 markers identified as crucial to the stem cells and to identify the bulge region. Mouse (n = 7) and human (n = 7) skin samples were used. The expression of proteins was determined by the indirect immunoperoxidase technique and a secondary antibody bound to a fluorochrome. The specificity of staining was evaluated by negative controls. The results revealed that the stem cells associated with CD34 and CD200 antibodies were differentially expressed in the interfollicular epidermis, sebaceous glands, and bulge region, indicating that, in mice, CD34 and, in humans, CD200 are more specific than CK15 in detecting bulge cells. It also suggests that CD34 is specific for mouse bulge cells, while CD200 might have specificity for progenitor cells and partially differentiated cells in humans.

Isolation, Cultivation, and Morphological Characteristics of Hair Follicle Adult Stem Cells in the Bulge Region in Mouse and Human

Skin contains various populations of stem cells (SCs). Among these are hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) in the bulge region. The behavior of HFSCs deserves to be widely studied due to the benefits to be derived from their identification, isolation, and amplification. Skin samples of newborn mice (n = 32) and human adults (n = 10) were used, and the bulge region was isolated and cultured. The isolation and characterization of cells were conducted through immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence, using mainly CD34 and CD200 monoclonal antibodies. Initially, cells grew slowly from the explant around the bulge region, accruing cells with different morphology in both mouse and human, latter being mostly polygonal;the mouse cells reaching confluence faster (5 to 7 days) than the human (12 to 15 days). It was possible to isolate into subcultures cells with small size (10 - 13 μm diameter), round-shape, scant cytoplasm, central prominent nucleus and with nucleolus, which formed colonies, maintaining their phenotype in a high proportion (77% - 83% and 91% in mouse and human, respectively), without showing changes in their morphology during almost 7 months in the mouse cells, and a month and a half in the human. These results demonstrate that the selection, the isolation, and the conditioned mediums allowed population increases of bulge cells and indicate that cultured cells may retain their sternness in that they maintained their phenotypic characteristics, expressed specific markers for SCs, and showed a high proliferative capacity for long periods. Hair follicles, in mice and humans, are important repositories of multipotent stem cells, due to their tendency to differentiate into keratinocytes. Human HFSCs, obtained by depilation, preserve their potential for proliferation and prove to be easily accessible. This suggests that the bulge cells may present an alternative source of autologous stem cells for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Constructing skin-equivalents using hair follicle stem cells

Objective： To establish the method of constructing skin-equivalents （SE） using hair follicle stem cells （HFSC）. Methods： K19 positive cells derived from hair were cultivated using serum-free medium KGM and seeded on dermal equivalents （DE）. After the culture between the air-liquid interface for 14 days, SE were harvested and used for evaluation. Results： K19 positive cells chosen as HFSC were located in bulge of out root sheet in hair follicle. Cultivated HFSC could build a fully developed, multi-layered epidermis on the basis of DE, resembling the skin structure. Conclusion： HFSC located in out root sheet can differentiate into kerafinocyte in vitro and be used for SE construction.

Vital roles of stem cells and biomaterials in skin tissue engineering

Tissue engineering essentially refers to technology for growing new human tissue and is distinct from regenerative medicine. Currently, pieces of skin are already being fabricated for clinical use and many other tissue types may be fabricated in the future.Tissue engineering was first defined in 1987 by the United States National Science Foundation which critically discussed the future targets of bioengineering research and its consequences. The principles of tissue engineering are to initiate cell cultures in vitro, grow them on scaffolds in situ and transplant the composite into a recipient in vivo. From the beginning, scaffolds have been necessary in tissue engineering applications. Regardless, the latest technology has redirected established approaches by omitting scaffolds. Currently, scientists from diverse research institutes are engineering skin without scaffolds. Due to their advantageous properties, stem cells have robustly transformed the tissue engineering field as part of an engineered bilayered skin substitute that will later be discussed in detail. Additionally, utilizing biomaterials or skin replacement products in skin tissue engineering as strategy to successfully direct cell proliferation and differentiation as well as to optimize the safety of handling during grafting is beneficial. This approach has also led to the cells' application in developing the novel skin substitute that will be briefly explained in this review.

Expression of stem cell factor in hair follicl epithelium

The interaction between flair folllcle dermis and its epidermis plays an important role in modulation of the growth and development of t he hair follicle. Stem cell factor (SCF ). which was found in recent years,is a cytokine related to the survival . growl h and development of the hemopoietic stem cells and can exert important biological effects on the development of keratinocytes and melanocytes. In this study, the expression of SCF in the hair follicle spithelium was invesstigated with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. It was found that the gene of the encoded SCF was strongly expressed al a limited area in the middle of the hair follicle epithelium. The protein of SCF was evenly expressed in each part of the hair follicle epithelium. The findings suggest that the expression of SCF in the hair follicle epithelium at the level of molecule is different from thai at the level of protein.

绒毛用羊毛囊干细胞研究进展

产毛(绒)量是绒毛用羊主要的经济性状,毛(绒)的质量和产量受毛囊发育的影响。众所周知,毛囊控制羊毛(绒)的生长,而毛囊干细胞决定着毛囊形态的发生。因此,文章从绒毛用羊毛囊干细胞的分离培养方法、鉴定、增殖与分化等方面的相关研究进展进行了综合阐述,为进一步开展毛囊生长发育的分子调控机制研究、选育绒毛性状优良的绒毛生产用羊提供参考资料。

ⅩⅦ型胶原蛋白在脱发中的作用机制研究进展

脱发是一种较为常见的皮肤疾病,其发病率逐年上升,并呈年轻化趋势发展,困扰着越来越多人的生活,以进行性毛囊微型化、毛发生长期缩短为特点,导致毛发附着松散容易脱落。ⅩⅦ型胶原蛋白是一种跨膜蛋白,位于表皮基底膜区的半桥粒,维持表皮真皮之间的紧密连接。近期研究发现,ⅩⅦ型胶原蛋白参与毛发生长,调节毛发相关细胞的静息与活化。若缺失ⅩⅦ型胶原蛋白可通过DNA损伤效应累积、表皮细胞极性失衡以及抑制干细胞竞争导致脱发。本文将对ⅩⅦ型胶原蛋白在脱发中的作用机制予以综述,为毛发再生领域研究提供方向。

毛囊干细胞及其环境调控

毛囊(HF)是一种微小的皮肤附属器官,对哺乳动物机体保护、体温调节、机械感觉、外形特征等方面具有重要作用。毛囊主要包含毛囊干细胞(HFSCs)、毛乳头、真皮鞘等结构。在毛囊的多种细胞群中,毛囊干细胞对环境变化十分敏感,受到多种因素的调控,是一群具有极强适应能力的细胞群,并且可以周期性地再生以产生毛发。干细胞的激活或静息状态不仅受到毛乳头细胞、内环境稳态等内在因素的调节,而且在很大程度上还受到邻近组织及等微环境因素的影响。目前在阐明HFSCs内在调节机制方面已经取得了显著的进展,而毛囊微环境是皮肤中负责毛发生长、周期调控和稳态维持的关键因素,其失衡会引发毛囊疾病和毛发脱落。因此,深入了解毛囊内部以及周围的组织结构和细胞间的相互作用,毛囊微环境的组成和功能以及其与毛发生长和疾病发生的关系,对于开发有效的毛囊疾病治疗方法和促进毛发生长具有重要意义。

脂肪组织在毛囊生长调控中的双重作用

在皮肤微环境中,脂肪组织呈现出与毛囊相应的周期性振荡,参与毛发生长和毛囊周期的调控。一方面脂肪组织来源的干细胞、血管基质组分以及脂肪组织移植在多种类型脱发的临床治疗中显示出疗效,提示脂肪组织对于毛囊的正向调控作用。另一方面,肥胖与雄激素性秃发或斑秃之间存在显著的临床关联,肥胖状态下脂肪细胞存在功能障碍和分泌失调,其诱发的炎症反应可通过多种途径对毛发生长产生负面影响。因此,脂肪组织在调控毛囊生长中兼有促进和抑制的两重作用,了解这些调节机制对于探索脱发的病理过程,以及开发脱发治疗的新策略具有重要意义。

自体毛囊干细胞移植生发技术的临床应用研究

目的观察自体毛囊干细胞移植生发技术治疗脱发的临床疗效。方法选取2022年11月—2023年5月10例脱发患者,其中雄激素性5例,脂溢性5例。采用自体毛囊干细胞移植技术治疗,治疗前数据为对照组,治疗后数据为研究组,随访3~8个月。设计FPF评分法,采集数据,评价治疗效果。结果9例改善评分≥7分,1例改善评分为2分,治疗优良率为90%(9/10)。与对照组总评分(2.81±0.92)分相比,研究组总评分为(9.00±2.21)分,差异有统计学意义(P<0.001)。结论自体毛囊干细胞移植生发技术安全、疗效显著、适应证广。

不同胚层来源成体干细胞修复周围神经损伤

背景:成体干细胞疗法是周围神经损伤修复与再生领域的研究热点之一。中胚层被视为成体干细胞的理想来源,间充质干细胞具有获得率高、来源广、增殖快等优异性能。而外胚层来源成体干细胞,尤其是神经嵴干细胞,具有神经源性,越来越受到研究人员的关注。目的:对来自外胚层和中胚层的多功能成体干细胞在周围神经损伤修复与再生中的作用及机制进行简要综述,探究不同来源成体干细胞的研究进展与应用前景,并结合临床研究,探讨成体干细胞疗法潜在的应用价值以及亟待解决的问题。方法:第一作者于2024年2月应用计算机在PubMed和SinoMed数据库检索2001年12月至2024年2月相关文献,以“ectodermal stem cells,mesenchymal stem cells,peripheral nerve injury,repair,regeneration”为英文检索词,以“外胚层干细胞、间充质干细胞、周围神经损伤、修复、再生”为中文检索词,最终纳入69篇文献进行分析论述。结果与结论:①外胚层来源成体干细胞具有优异的分化和再生潜能,尤其是毛囊神经嵴干细胞、嗅干细胞、牙外胚层干细胞等,具有神经源性,可在体外表达神经特异性标志物,但目前缺少临床试验研究。②中胚层来源成体干细胞种类多、易获得及纯化,其中骨髓间充质干细胞和脐带间充质干细胞在周围神经损伤修复的应用疗效及安全性方面有相关临床试验支持,能改善感觉及运动神经传导,且在随访中未出现并发症和明显不良反应。骨髓间充质干细胞的获取需行侵入性外科手术且要求患者与捐赠者骨髓配型吻合,应用受到一定限制;而脐带间充质干细胞虽无需侵入性获取,但分离较困难且表型不稳定。③内胚层来源成体干细胞常难以在体外生长,应用受限,目前应用于临床的可能性低。④综合来看,骨髓间充质干细胞仍为周围神经损伤干细胞治疗的首选细胞,适用于无外科手术禁忌且符合配型要求的情况,其次为脐带间充质干细胞,辅以分离方法的改进和表型稳定性的提高策略。⑤牙外胚层干细胞以及脂肪间充质干细胞具有较高应用潜能,有待进一步临床试验,其他外胚层、中胚层来源成体干细胞各以其优异特性在动物及细胞实验研究中具有显著优势。

Future application of hair follicle stem cells： capable in differentiation into sweat gland cells

Background Sweat glands （SGs） can not regenerate after complete destruction in the severe skin injury, so it is important to find a ideal stem cell source in order to regenerate functional SGs. Hair follicle stem cells （HFSCs） possess the obvious properties of the adult stem cells, which are multipotent and easily accessible. In this research, we attempted to direct the HFSCs suffered from the sweat gland cells （SGCs） special differentiation by a cooperative co- culture system in vitro. Methods The designed co-culture microenvironment in the transwell was consist of two critial factors： heat shocked SGCs and dermis-like mesenchymal tissue, which appeared independently in the two control groups; after induction, the purified induced SGC-like cells were transplanted into the full-thickness scalded wounds of the nude mice, after 4 weeks, the reconstructed SG-like structures were identified by immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analysis. Results A part of HFSCs in experimental group finally expressed SGCs phenotypes, by contrast, the control group 1 which just containing dermis-like mesenchymal tissue failed and the control group 2 consisted of heat shocked SGCs was in a poor efficiency; by immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry analysis, the expression of HFSCs special biomarkers was down regulated, instead of the positive efficiency of SGCs special antigens increased; besides, the induced SGCs displayed a high expression of ectodysplasin A （EDA） and ectodysplasin A receptor （EDAR） genes and proteins; after cell transplantation, the youngest SG-like structures formed and be positive in SGCs special antigens, which never happened in untreated wounds （P 〈0.05）. Conclusion The HFSCs are multipotential and capable in differentiating into SGCs which promise a potential stem cells reservoir for future use; our special co-culture microenvironment is promising for HFSCs differentiating; the induced SGCs are functional and could work well in the regeneration of SGs.

Regulation of signaling pathways in hair follicle stem cells

Hair follicle stem cells(HFSCs)reside in the bulge region of the outer root sheath of the hair follicle.They are considered slow-cycling cells that are endowed with multilineage differentiation potential and superior proliferative capacity.The normal morphology and periodic growth of HFSCs play a significant role in normal skin functions,wound repair and skin regeneration.The HFSCs involved in these pathophysiological processes are regulated by a series of cell signal transduction pathways,such as lymphoid enhancer factor/T-cell factor,Wnt/β-catenin,transforming growth factor-β/bone morphogenetic protein,Notch and Hedgehog.The mechanisms of the interactions among these signaling pathways and their regulatory effects on HFSCs have been previously studied,but many mechanisms are still unclear.This article reviews the regulation of hair follicles,HFSCs and related signaling pathways,with the aims of summarizing previous research results,revealing the regulatory mechanisms of HFSC proliferation and differentiation and providing important references and new ideas for treating clinical diseases.