Multipotent Nestin-Positive, Keratin-Negative Hair-Follicle Bulge Stem Cells Can Form Neurons

The study demonstrated that multipotent nestin-positive, keratin-negative stem cells from the hair-follicle bulge area in transgenic mice could differentiate into various cell types, including neurons, glia, keratinocytes, smooth muscle cells, and melanocytes, both in vitro and in vivo. These stem cells were identified as pluripotent and relatively undifferentiated, marked by CD34 positivity and keratin 15 negativity. Notably, 48% of vibrissa bulge cells and 68% of dorsal-follicle bulge cells produced neuronal markers. The findings suggested that these hair-follicle bulge-area stem cells could serve as an accessible and autologous source of multipotent stem cells for potential therapeutic applications, highlighting their potential in regenerative medicine and their role in understanding hair growth and regeneration.