Signaling by Senescent Melanocytes Hyperactivates Hair Growth

    June 2023 in “ Nature ”
    Xiaojie Wang, Raúl Ramos, Anne Q. Phan, Kosuke Yamaga, Jessica L. Flesher, Shan Jiang, Ji Won Oh, Suoqin Jin, Sohail Jahid, Chen‐Hsiang Kuan, Truman Kt Nguyen, Heidi Yahan Liang, Nitish Udupi Shettigar, Renzhi Hou, Kevin H. Tran, Andrew D. Nguyen, Kimberly Vu, Jennie Phung, Jonard P Ingal, Katelyn M Levitt, Xiaoling Cao, Yingzi Liu, Zhili Deng, Nobuhiko Taguchi, Vanessa M. Scarfone, Guangfang Wang, Kara Nicole Paolilli, Xiaoyang Wang, Christian F. Guerrero‐Juarez, Ryan T. Davis, Elyse Noelani Greenberg, Rolando Ruiz, Priya Vasudeva, Rabi Murad, Lily Halida Putri Widyastuti, Hyelim Lee, Kevin J. McElwee, Alain‐Pierre Gadeau, Devon A. Lawson, Bogi Andersen, A Mortazavi, Zhengquan Yu, Qing Nie, Takahiro Kunisada, Michael Karin, Jan Tuckermann, Jeffrey D. Esko, Anand K. Ganesan, Ji Li, Maksim V. Plikus
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    TLDR Senescent melanocytes can boost hair growth by activating hair stem cells.
    The study demonstrates that senescent melanocytes in dermal clusters can activate epithelial hair stem cells, leading to enhanced hair growth. Using genetic mouse models, researchers found that these melanocytes secrete a distinct set of signaling factors, with osteopontin being crucial for inducing hair growth. Experiments showed that injecting osteopontin or overexpressing it genetically in mice resulted in significant hair growth, while deleting osteopontin or its receptor CD44 reduced this effect. The findings suggest that senescent cell signaling can enhance stem cell activity and tissue renewal, making them a potential therapeutic target for regenerative disorders.
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