First published online July 11, 2006
Development 133, 1502e (2006)
© The Company of Biologists Limited
New hair progenitors for the follicly challenged?
If we are lucky, our hair, like the rest of our skin, constantly renews
itself throughout our life. The epidermal stem cells that are central to hair
renewal reside in a region of the hair follicle called the bulge. Now, though,
Nijhof and coworkers identify a potential new reservoir of mouse epidermal
progenitor cells just above the bulge. These cells are characterised by the
expression of MTS24, a cell-surface marker for thymic epithelial progenitor
cells (see p. 3027).
The researchers show that although MTS24+ cells do not express the
bulge-specific stem-cell markers CD34 or keratin 15, they can form colonies in
vitro. Furthermore, their overall gene expression profile resembles that of
bulge stem cells. Given these results, the researchers propose that
MTS24+ keratinocytes are committed progenitor cells that are derived
from the bulge stem cells. Further characterisation of these cells, they
suggest, might reveal ways to modify keratinocyte progenitor cell behaviour
during hair loss, wound healing and cancer.
Related articles in Development:
- The cell-surface marker MTS24 identifies a novel population of follicular keratinocytes with characteristics of progenitor cells
- Joanne G. W. Nijhof, Kristin M. Braun, Adam Giangreco, Carina van Pelt, Hiroshi Kawamoto, Richard L. Boyd, Rein Willemze, Leon H. F. Mullenders, Fiona M. Watt, Frank R. de Gruijl, and Willem van Ewijk
Development 2006 133: 3027-3037.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
