Fibroblasts synthesize the extracellular matrix of connective tissue and play an essential role
in maintaining the structural integrity of most tissues. Researchers have long suspected that …

The skin protects mammals from insults, infection and dehydration and enables
thermoregulation and sensory perception. Various skin-resident cells carry out these diverse …

Fibroblasts are found in most tissues, yet they remain poorly characterised. Different
fibroblast subpopulations with distinct functions have been identified in the skin. This …

The functional versatility of Wnt/β-catenin signaling can be seen by its ability to act in stem
cells of the embryo and of the adult as well as in cancer stem cells. During embryogenesis …

Our knowledge of the principles by which organ architecture develops through complex
collective cell behaviours is still limited. Recent work has shown that the shape of such …

Hair follicles (HFs) undergo lifelong cyclical transformations, progressing through stages of
rapid growth (anagen), regression (catagen), and relative “quiescence”(telogen). Given that …

Embryonic hair follicle induction and formation are regulated by mesenchymal–epithelial
interactions between specialized dermal cells and epidermal stem cells that switch to a hair …

Hair follicle stem cells are regulated by dermal papilla fibroblasts, their principal signaling
niche. Overactivation of Hedgehog signaling in the niche dramatically accelerates hair …

Several forms of hair loss in humans are characterized by the inability of hair follicles to
enter the growth phase (anagen) of the hair cycle after being arrested in the resting phase …

Stem cell activity is subject to non-cell-autonomous regulation from the local
microenvironment, or niche. In adaption to varying physiological conditions and the ever …