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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Isolating Hair Follicle Stem Cells and Epidermal Keratinocytes from Dorsal Mouse Skin
Published on: April 29, 2016
[Localization and differentiation of hair follicle stem cells]
Song-Mei Geng1, Jian-Li Wang, Wan-Juan Wang
1Department of Dermatology, Second Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, China. gsm312@yahoo.com
Objective:
To identify the localization of hair follicles stem cell (HFSC) in different stages of hair and explore the differentiating capacity of HFSC into epidermis in vitro.
Methods:
HFSC were detected by K19 immunostaining in normal human skin. Then, the isolated HFSC through enzyme digestion were seeded on dermal equivalent (DE) and cultured between the air-liquid interfaces for 14 days. Skin-equivalents was harvested and used for evaluation.
Results:
HFSC mainly located in outer root sheet in hair follicle and human anagen hair follicles containing two distinct reservoirs for K19-positive cells located in the bulge and bulb of the follicle. These two reservoirs fused in line of outer root sheets during the catagen-telogen transition phase and individualized again in the newly forming anagen hair follicle. Based on DE, growing HFSC built a multilayered and confined epidermis.
Conclusion:
HFSC located in outer root sheets can promote hair cycle and differentiate into epidermis in vitro.
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