Exosomes Derived from Dermal Papilla Cells Mediate Hair Follicle Stem Cell Proliferation through the Wnt3a/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

Both hair follicle stem cells (HFSC) and dermal papilla cells (DPC) are essential for hair follicle growth and proliferation. In this study, HFSCs and DPCs that made signature proteins like KRT14, KRT15, KRT19, alpha-SMA, and Versican were obtained. Cell coculture systems between HFSCs and DPCs were used to measure the increased PCNA protein content in HFSCs. Additionally, exosomes from dermal papilla cells (DPC-Exos), the overexpression and silencing of Wnt3a, could regulate the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway downstream genes. After collecting DPC-Exos(OE-Wnt3a), the treatment of HFSC with DPC-Exos(OE-Wnt3a) showed that DPC-Exos(OE-Wnt3a) could upregulate the mRNA expression of downstream genes in the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway and that DPC-Exos(OE-Wnt3a) enhanced the proliferation of HFSCs while inhibiting their apoptosis. These findings suggest that DPC-Exos could regulate HFSC cell proliferation via the Wnt3a/beta-catenin signaling pathway. This research offers novel concepts for the molecular breeding and efficient production of Angora rabbits, as well as for the treatment of human hair problems.

Automated summary

Both hair follicle stem cells and dermal papilla cells play essential roles in hair follicle growth and proliferation. The study reveals that exosomes from dermal papilla cells can enhance the proliferation of hair follicle stem cells by regulating the Wnt3a/beta-catenin signaling pathway, providing insights for molecular breeding of Angora rabbits and treatment of human hair problems.