Switching Hair sparseness: New and surprising molecular mechanism for stimulating hair growth discovered.
The mechanism by which skin moles, or nevi, are triggered by senescent pigment cells has been identified by researchers at the University of California, Irvine. Despite the high number of senescent pigment cells, the study demonstrated that osteopontin and CD44 molecules play a crucial role in activating hair growth in hairy skin nevi. This finding debunks the widespread notion that regeneration is hindered by senescent cells, which are typically associated with aging.
The findings may provide a roadmap for the next generation of androgenetic alopecia treatments.
It has been disproved by researchers that skin mole senescent pigment cells prevent regeneration by promoting robust hair growth. The study demonstrated that the molecules osteopontin and CD44 play a significant role in this process, potentially opening up new treatment options for common conditions that cause hair loss.
A team of researchers led by the University of California, Irvine has discovered how senescent pigment-making cells in the skin cause significant hair growth inside skin moles called nevi. The discovery could pave the way for a brand-new class of molecular treatments for androgenetic alopecia, a common type of hair loss that affects men and women alike.
The study, which was published on June 21 in the journal Nature, explains how the osteopontin and CD44 molecules trigger hair growth in nevi with hairy skin. Despite displaying extremely robust hair growth, these skin nevi accumulate particularly large numbers of senescent pigment cells.
Lead co-author Masimo Plinks, a developmental and cell biology professor at the University of California, Irvine, stated, “We found that senescent pigment cells produce large quantities of a specific signaling molecule called osteopontin, which causes normally dormant and diminutive hair follicles to activate their stem cells for robust growth of long and thick hairs.” Our research clearly demonstrates that cellular senescence has a positive side. Senescent cells are typically thought to be bad for regeneration and to be the cause of aging because they accumulate in body tissues.
Stem cell activation tightly regulates hair follicle growth; These cells divide, allowing follicles to cycle produce new hair. There is a dormancy period following each hair growth phase, during which the follicle’s stem cells remain inactive until the next cycle begins.
The mouse models used in the study had spots on their skin that were pigmented. They also had hyper activated hair stem cells and grew hair faster, which was very similar to what doctors have seen with hairy skin nevi in humans. A more in-depth examination of the senescent pigment cells and the nearby hair stem cells revealed that the former produced a signaling molecule called osteopontin in high quantities, and the hair stem cells had a CD44-corresponding receptor molecule. Hair stem cells were activated as a result of the molecular interaction between CD44 and osteopontin, which led to robust hair growth.
In order to verify that CD44 and osteopontin play a leading role in the process, mouse models lacking either of these genes were examined; They had significantly slower hair follicle development. Human hairy skin nevi samples have also confirmed the effect that osteopontin has on hair growth.
“Our findings reveal positive effects of senescent cells on hair follicle stem cells and provide qualitatively new insights into the relationship between senescent cells and tissue’s own stem cells,” said first author and co-corresponding author Xilamide Wang, an associate specialist in developmental and cell biology at UCI. That information may be used to develop new therapies that treat a wide range of regenerative disorders, including common hair loss, by focusing on the properties of senescent cells as we learn more.
Academics and healthcare professionals from the United States, China, France, Germany, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan made up the team.
“In addition to osteopontin and CD44, we are investigating additional molecules found in nevi with hairy skin and their capacity to stimulate hair growth. Pinkus stated, “It is likely that our ongoing research will identify additional potent activators.”
