Updated Molecular Regulation of Hair Growth and Pigmentation by Dermal Papilla Cells

Abstract

There is growing evidence that dermal papilla cells(DPCs)act as the organizing center to induce the cyclic hair regeneration.On one hand,DPCs secrete cytokines or growth factors to regulate the differentiation,proliferation,and migration of epithelial stem cells(EpSCs)and melanocyte stem cells(MeSCs)residing in the bulge region.On the other hand,DPCs manipulate the microenvironment(also termed as niche)for both EpSCs and MeSCs,such as the size of dermal papilla,the distance between dermal papilla and the bulge region,and the lymphatic drainage and sympathetic nerve innervation surrounding the bulge region,thereby orchestrating the cycling hair growth.Recent studies have demonstrated at least four subpopulations existing in dermal papillae,which induce the unilineage transit-amplifying epithelial cells to form the concentric multilayers of hair shafts and sheaths.In addition,emerging study has indicated that sustained psychological stress potentially leads to hyperactivation of the sympathetic nerves that innervate the bulge region.The large amount of norepinephrine released by the nerve endings forces MeSCs to rapidly and abnormally proliferate,resultantly causing the depletion of MeSC pool and the loss of hair pigment.Understanding the molecular regulation of hair growth and pigmentation by DPCs holds substantial promise for the future use of cultured DPCs in vitro to treat hair loss.