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Updated: Sep 15, 2025
Flat Mount Imaging of Mouse Skin and Its Application to the Analysis of Hair Follicle Patterning and Sensory Axon Morphology
Published on: June 25, 2014
Single-cell sequencing combined with spatial transcriptomics reveals the characteristics of follicle-targeted
Qitao Chen1, Yuqian Li1, Qilin Zhu1
1Department of Dermatology, Wuxi Medical Center, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.
Background:
Primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA) causes irreversible hair loss due to immune-mediated hair follicle destruction. This study investigates follicle-targeted inflammation in lichen planopilaris (LPP), a major PCA subtype, to identify therapeutic targets.
Methods:
Scalp samples from LPP, localized scleroderma (LS), and controls were analyzed using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. Cellular composition, spatial localization, and intercellular interactions were examined using differential gene expression and ligand-receptor analyses.
Results:
CD8⁺ effector memory T cells (Tem) and macrophages infiltrated hair follicles in LPP, disrupting immune privilege and promoting scarring. Heightened interferon-γ (IFN-γ) signaling and STAT1 activation in Tem cells caused epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). Additionally, macrophage-secreted oncostatin M (OSM) impaired HFSC integrity. These mechanisms drive LPP's inflammation and fibrosis.
Conclusions:
Our findings identify interferon-γ and oncostatin M as key drivers of LPP pathogenesis, offering targets to reduce follicular scarring and preserve hair growth.
Trial Registration:
Not applicable.
