Nestin-Expressing Interfollicular Blood Vessel Network Contributes to Skin Transplant Survival and Wound Healing

The study demonstrated that a network of blood vessels expressing nestin-driven green fluorescent protein (ND-GFP) played a crucial role in skin transplant survival and wound healing. Using ND-GFP transgenic mice, researchers observed that angiogenesis in transplanted skin or healing wounds originated from this microvasculature network, which appeared to stem from ND-GFP-expressing hair-follicle stem cells. The formation of chimeric ND-GFP-RFP blood vessels in experiments involving transplants between ND-GFP and RFP-expressing mice suggested the integration of blood vessel networks from both the transplant and host. These findings indicated that the inter-hair-follicle blood vessel network significantly contributed to the re-establishment of the dermal microvasculature after skin transplantation or injury.