Are hair follicle stem cells promising candidates for wound healing?

ABSTRACT

Introduction: With the continued focus on in-depth investigations of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs), the role of HFSCs in wound healing has attracted increasing attention from researchers. This review may afford meaningful implications for HFSC treatment of wounds.

Areas covered: We present the properties of HFSCs, analyze the possibility of HFSCs in wound healing, and sum up the recent studies into wound repair with HFSCs. The details of HFSCs in wound healing have been discussed. The possible mechanisms of wound healing with HFSCs have been elaborated. Additionally, the factors that influence HFSCs in wound healing are also summarized.

Expert opinion: Hair follicle stem cells are promising sources for wound healing. However, a further understanding of human HFSCs and the safety use of HFSCs in clinical practice still remain in relative infancy.

KEYWORDS:

• Hair follicle
• stem cells
• wound healing
• review

Article highlights

• We summarized the current studies of HFSCs, focused on the role of HFSCs in wound healing, and illustrated the possible mechanisms of HFSCs in wound healing.

• The factors that influence HFSCs in wound healing are concluded, such as Immune system, aging and the interactions with HF dermal cells.

• A brief discussion about the difference between human and rodent HFSCs is also provided.

• In view of the plasticity of HFSC in wound repair, how to prevent tumorigenesis is the urgent issue before clinical application.

This review may possibly provide meaningful implications for HFSC treatment of wounds.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer Disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported in part by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (81721092, 81571905) and the National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFC1103304).