Human Hair Follicle Stem Cells

Medical News Today ^ | 01.06.06 | Brooke Grindlinger

[Coleus]

Human Hair Follicle Stem Cells

Category: Dermatology News
Article Date: 06 Jan 2006

In a study appearing in the January 4, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Jonathan Vogel and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute successfully isolated and characterized genes expressed by human hair follicle stem cells. The isolation, cultivation, and propagation of these stem cells are important for tissue-engineering approaches to treating disorders of the hair and skin.

Stem cells in the skin and hair follicles are the ultimate source of cells that regenerate the skin and the growth of new hairs. Vogel and colleagues used sophisticated techniques to engraft human scalp tissue onto mice and then isolated and examined living human hair follicle stem cells. The authors identified a panel of marker proteins expressed on the surface of these elusive cells that can be used in future research to aid in their identification. They go on to note important differences between mouse and human stem cell markers.

In an accompanying commentary, George Cotsarelis from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, discusses the importance of these results: "investigators can now readily extract and study very specific follicular cell types for the ability to regenerate hair and skin, with the hope of developing novel methods for treating skin and hair disease."

TITLE: Characterization and isolation of stem cell-enriched human hair follicle bulge cells
View the PDF of this article at: the-jci.org/article.php?id=26043

ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY:
TITLE: Gene expression profiling gets to the root of human hair follicle stem cells

Brooke Grindlinger
press_releases@the-jci.org
Journal of Clinical Investigation

[Dog Gone]

Vogel and colleagues used sophisticated techniques to engraft human scalp tissue onto mice

Great. Carrot Top mice.

Dr. Frankenstein would be envious.

[ArrogantBustard]

This has great potential for treating burn victims. If the tissue is cultured from the victims own hair follicles, there's no issue of rejection, and no need to cut up healthy skin on the unburned areas.

And, of course, nobody gets killed.

[CheyennePress]

There's a very large contingency of the "follicularly challenged" who will be quite happy to see this article, as well.

Merck is going to lose some Propecia sales in the future, it doth appear.

[melt]

Melanocyte stem cells to reverse greying hair could have the makers of "Grecian Formula" weeping in their Brylcreem.