R-spondin proteins are novel Wnt/β-catenin agonists, which signal through their receptors leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor (LGR) 4/5/6 and substantially enhance Wnt/β-catenin activity. R-spondins are reported to function in embryonic development. They also play important roles in stem cell functions in adult tissues, such as the intestine and mammary glands, which large...

A key question in the stem cell field is how to balance the slow cycling of stem cells with active organ growth. Recent studies of the hair follicle stem cell niche have shown that this can be achieved by organizing the stem cell niche into two compartments: one that engages in immediate, rapid new growth and one that contributes later to long-term growth that fuels hair regeneration. Based on ...

The formation of epithelial tubes underlies the development of diverse organs. In the skin, hair follicles resemble tube-like structures with lumens that are generated through poorly understood cellular rearrangements. Here, we show that creation of the hair follicle lumen is mediated by early outward movement of keratinocytes from within the cores of developing hair buds. These migratory kerat...

Alopecia areata (AAR) and androgenetic alopecia (AGA) are two major forms of alopecia based on altered hair growth condition. In general, the cell cycle is regulated by several mechanisms including the stem cell factor/c-kit signaling. To assess a role for stem cell activity in alopecia, we performed histopathological, immunohistochemical, and semiquantitative analyses of c-kit as well as Ki-67...

Several forms of hair loss in humans are characterized by the inability of hair follicles to enter the growth phase (anagen) of the hair cycle after being arrested in the resting phase (telogen). Current pharmacologic therapies have been largely unsuccessful in targeting pathways that can be selectively modulated to induce entry into anagen. We show that topical treatment of mouse and human ski...

The hair follicle produces a terminally differentiated keratinized end product, the hair shaft, that is eventually shed. The follicle undergoes cyclical regeneration with at least 10 different epithelial and mesenchymal cell lineages. Hair is formed by rapidly proliferating matrix keratinocytes in the bulb located at the base of the growing (anagen) follicle. The duration of anagen varies great...

Dermal Papillae (DP) is a unique population of mesenchymal cells that was shown to regulate hair follicle formation and growth cycle. During development most DP cells are derived from mesoderm, however, functionally equivalent DP cells of cephalic hairs originate from Neural Crest (NC). Here we directed human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to generate first NC cells and then hair-inducing DP-like...

Stem cells have been found to reside in the different organs of the human body localized in specific niches. One such mini-organ is hair follicle wherein stem cells of epidermal origin have been reported. In the present review article we have reviewed in brief about the melanocyte stem cells of the hair follicle tissue, their identification, surface marker characteristics and role in the cell b...

To examine the roles of epigenetic modulation on hair follicle regeneration, we generated mice with a K14-Cre-mediated loss of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). The mutant shows an uneven epidermal thickness and alterations in hair follicle size. When formed, hair follicle architecture and differentiation appear normal. Hair subtypes exist but hair fibers are shorter and thinner. Hair numbers ap...

To examine the roles of epigenetic modulation on hair follicle regeneration, we generated mice with a K14-Cremediated loss of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1). The mutant shows an uneven epidermal thickness and alterations in hair follicle size. When formed, hair follicle architecture and differentiation appear normal. Hair subtypes exist but hair fibers are shorter and thinner. Hair numbers app...