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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Author Spotlight: Development of an Efficient and Feasible Method of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Freezing
Published on: November 3, 2023
Lichen Planopilaris and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia as Model Epithelial Stem Cell Diseases
Matthew J Harries1, Francisco Jimenez2, Ander Izeta3
1The Dermatology Centre, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, Greater Manchester, UK; Centre for Dermatology Research, University of Manchester, MAHSC and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester, UK.
Abstract:
Inflammation-associated, irreversible damage to epithelial stem cells (eSCs) of the hair follicle in their immunologically privileged niche lies at the heart of scarring alopecia, which causes permanent difficult-to-treat hair loss. We propose that the two most common and closely related forms, lichen planopilaris (LPP) and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), provide excellent model diseases for studying the biology and pathology of adult human eSCs in an easily accessible human mini-organ. Emphasising the critical roles for interferon (IFN)-γ and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ-mediated signalling in immune privilege (IP) collapse and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of these eSCs respectively, we argue that these pathways deserve therapeutic targeting in the future management of LPP/FFA and other eSC diseases associated with IP collapse and EMT.
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