title: The bulge area is the major hair follicle source of nestin-expressing pluripotent stem cells which can repair the spinal cord compared to the dermal papilla.
abstract: Nestin has been shown to be expressed in the hair follicle, both in the bulge area (BA) as well as the dermal papilla (DP). Nestin-expressing stem cells of both the BA and DP have been previously shown to be pluripotent and be able to form neurons and other non-follicle cell types. The nestin-expressing pluripotent stem cells from the DP have been termed skin precursor or SKP cells. The objective of the present study was to determine the major source of nestin-expressing pluripotent stem cells in the hair follicle and to compare the ability of the nestin-expressing pluripotent stem cells from the BA and DP to repair spinal cord injury. Transgenic mice in which the nestin promoter drives GFP (ND-GFP) were used in order to observe nestin expression in the BA and DP. Nestin-expressing DP cells were found in early and middle anagen. The BA had nestin expression throughout the hair cycle and to a greater extent than the DP. The cells from both regions had very long processes extending from them as shown by two-photon confocal microscopy. Nestin-expressing stem cells from both areas differentiated into neuronal cells at high frequency in vitro. Both nestin-expressing DP and BA cells differentiated into neuronal and glial cells after transplantation to the injured spinal cord and enhanced injury repair and locomotor recovery within four weeks. Nestin-expressing pluripotent stem cells from both the BA and DP have potential for spinal cord regeneration, with the BA being the greater and more constant source.
authors.affiliation: AntiCancer Inc., San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Aisada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uchugonova
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Chuansen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duong
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aki
authors.forename: Norimitsu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Sumiyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mii
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Amoh
authors.forename: Kensei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsuoka
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hoffman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D020405:Dermis / Q000166:cytology; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D064231:Nestin; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000637:transplantation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D058630:Spinal Cord Regeneration / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577485:Nes protein, mouse; D064231:Nestin