By NAMI SUGIURA/ Staff Writer
July 1, 2021 at 07:30 JST
An image showing how follicle cells are formed based on the “telescope model” proposed by the Riken research institute and other entities (Created by Tomoyuki Narashima)
A research team’s study on how hair-generating tissues form on the skin has turned an existing theory on its head and could lead to hair regrowth treatments.
The scientists from the Riken research institute and other entities found that hair follicle stem cells are derived from cells different from those previously suggested.
Their findings were published in the British scientific journal Nature on June 10.
The team used ex vivo live imaging to monitor how hair follicle cells formed in a mouse fetus. The technology enabled them to put fluorescent markers on specific cells for observations on how they move and change.
When the recorded sequence was played in reverse, the scientists could trace the origins of the targeted cells.
Using the findings from a gene analysis, the researchers determined that cells with similar characteristics were arranged in a concentric pattern in a section that becomes the basis of the follicle cells.
As time passed, the cells changed their shapes to form a cylinder with a hollow center.
The team named the cylindrical compartment the “telescope model” because its movement was similar to that of an extendable telescope.
The study also showed that hair-generating follicle stem cells are derived from the edge of the cylindrical compartment. It was previously thought that another cell near the edge would become the basis.
The team said its findings could lead to various applications, including treatments for illnesses involving follicle cells and a method to efficiently produce follicle cells from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and other cells to achieve hair regrowth.
“Coming up with this new concept could have quite an impact,” said team leader Hironobu Fujiwara. “Other organs, such as mammary and sweat glands, may consist of the same mechanism. We want to continue our research.”
To read the paper, visit (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03638-5).
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