title: A role of placental growth factor in hair growth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The dermal papilla (DP) comprises specialized mesenchymal cells at the bottom of the hair follicle and plays a pivotal role in hair formation, anagen induction and the hair cycle. In this study, DPs were isolated from human hair follicles and serially subcultured. From each subculture at passages 1, 3, and 5 (n=4), we compared gene expression profiles using mRNA sequencing. Among the growth factors that were down-regulated in later passages of human DP cells (hDPCs), placental growth factor (PlGF) was selected.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the effect of PlGF on hair growth.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the effect of PlGF on hDPCs and on ex vivo hair organ culture. We investigated the effect of PlGF on an in vivo model of depilation-induced hair regeneration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We confirmed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of PlGF significantly decreased following subculture of the cells. It was shown that PlGF enhanced hair shaft elongation in ex vivo hair organ culture. Furthermore, PlGF significantly accelerated hair follicle growth and markedly prolonged anagen hair growth in an in vivo model of depilation-induced hair regeneration. PlGF prevented cell death by increasing the levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and cyclin D1 and promoted survival by up-regulation of phosphorylated Akt and Bcl2, as determined by Western blotting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that PlGF plays a role in the promotion of hair growth and therefore may serve as an additional therapeutic target for the treatment of alopecia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Human-Environment Interface Biology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Laboratory of Cutaneous Aging and Hair Research, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Human-Environment Interface Biology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Laboratory of Cutaneous Aging and Hair Research, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Seon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Human-Environment Interface Biology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Laboratory of Cutaneous Aging and Hair Research, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seong Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Human-Environment Interface Biology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Laboratory of Cutaneous Aging and Hair Research, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Yup
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Genomic Medicine Institute (GMI), Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Genomic Medicine Institute (GMI), Medical Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Il
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Human-Environment Interface Biology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Laboratory of Cutaneous Aging and Hair Research, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: oskwon@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Ohsang
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Human-Environment Interface Biology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Laboratory of Cutaneous Aging and Hair Research, Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: kyuhkim@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Kyu Han
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006197:Hair / Q000254:growth & development*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C000608036:PGF protein, human; C000608037:Pgf protein, mouse; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; C501162:FLT1 protein, human; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1
keywords: Dermal papilla; Gene expression profiles; Hair growth; PlGF