Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Preserve Melanocyte Stem Cell Integrity Under Acute Neurogenic Oxidative Stress via Activation of the Nrf2-ARE Pathway in C57BL/6J Mice
April 2026
in “
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
”
umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells exosomes melanocyte stem cells neurogenic oxidative stress Nrf2-ARE pathway antioxidant genes hair depigmentation dermal thickness hair shafts follicular morphology antioxidant protein expression stem cell exosomes oxidative stress antioxidants hair pigmentation
TLDR Exosomes from umbilical cord stem cells help protect hair color and health under stress.
The study investigates the effects of exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCB-MSC-Exo) on melanocyte stem cells under acute neurogenic oxidative stress in C57BL/6J mice. The results show that HUCB-MSC-Exo treatment significantly activates the Nrf2-ARE pathway and its downstream antioxidant genes, which helps preserve melanocyte function. This treatment reduces stress-induced hair depigmentation, increases dermal thickness, lengthens hair shafts, improves follicular morphology, and enhances antioxidant protein expression. The findings suggest that HUCB-MSC-Exo can alleviate oxidative stress and protect against hair depigmentation by maintaining melanocyte stem cell integrity.
