Anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissue
Abstract Despite the substantial impact of skin scarring on patients and the healthcare system, there is a lack of strategies to prevent scar formation, let alone methods to remodel mature scars. Here, we took a unique approach inspired by how healthy hairbearing skin undergoes physiological remodel...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2023-01-01
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| Series: | npj Regenerative Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-022-00270-3 |
| _version_ | 1797958824056848384 |
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| author | Magdalena Plotczyk Francisco Jiménez Summik Limbu Colin J. Boyle Jesse Ovia Benjamin D. Almquist Claire A. Higgins |
| author_facet | Magdalena Plotczyk Francisco Jiménez Summik Limbu Colin J. Boyle Jesse Ovia Benjamin D. Almquist Claire A. Higgins |
| author_sort | Magdalena Plotczyk |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Despite the substantial impact of skin scarring on patients and the healthcare system, there is a lack of strategies to prevent scar formation, let alone methods to remodel mature scars. Here, we took a unique approach inspired by how healthy hairbearing skin undergoes physiological remodelling during the regular cycling of hair follicles. In this pilot clinical study, we tested if hair follicles transplanted into human scars can facilitate tissue regeneration and actively remodel fibrotic tissue, similar to how they remodel the healthy skin. We collected full-thickness skin biopsies and compared the morphology and transcriptional signature of fibrotic tissue before and after transplantation. We found that hair follicle tranplantation induced an increase in the epidermal thickness, interdigitation of the epidermal-dermal junction, dermal cell density, and blood vessel density. Remodelling of collagen type I fibres reduced the total collagen fraction, the proportion of thick fibres, and their alignment. Consistent with these morphological changes, we found a shift in the cytokine milieu of scars with a long-lasting inhibition of pro-fibrotic factors TGFβ1, IL13, and IL-6. Our results show that anagen hair follicles can attenuate the fibrotic phenotype, providing new insights for developing regenerative approaches to remodel mature scars. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:24:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a692be2c401649318c8e004730f2f430 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2057-3995 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:24:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Regenerative Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-a692be2c401649318c8e004730f2f4302023-01-08T12:06:32ZengNature Portfolionpj Regenerative Medicine2057-39952023-01-018111310.1038/s41536-022-00270-3Anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissueMagdalena Plotczyk0Francisco Jiménez1Summik Limbu2Colin J. Boyle3Jesse Ovia4Benjamin D. Almquist5Claire A. Higgins6Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonMediteknia Skin and Hair Laboratory, Universidad Fernando Pessoa CanariasDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Bioengineering, Imperial College LondonAbstract Despite the substantial impact of skin scarring on patients and the healthcare system, there is a lack of strategies to prevent scar formation, let alone methods to remodel mature scars. Here, we took a unique approach inspired by how healthy hairbearing skin undergoes physiological remodelling during the regular cycling of hair follicles. In this pilot clinical study, we tested if hair follicles transplanted into human scars can facilitate tissue regeneration and actively remodel fibrotic tissue, similar to how they remodel the healthy skin. We collected full-thickness skin biopsies and compared the morphology and transcriptional signature of fibrotic tissue before and after transplantation. We found that hair follicle tranplantation induced an increase in the epidermal thickness, interdigitation of the epidermal-dermal junction, dermal cell density, and blood vessel density. Remodelling of collagen type I fibres reduced the total collagen fraction, the proportion of thick fibres, and their alignment. Consistent with these morphological changes, we found a shift in the cytokine milieu of scars with a long-lasting inhibition of pro-fibrotic factors TGFβ1, IL13, and IL-6. Our results show that anagen hair follicles can attenuate the fibrotic phenotype, providing new insights for developing regenerative approaches to remodel mature scars.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-022-00270-3 |
| spellingShingle | Magdalena Plotczyk Francisco Jiménez Summik Limbu Colin J. Boyle Jesse Ovia Benjamin D. Almquist Claire A. Higgins Anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissue npj Regenerative Medicine |
| title | Anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissue |
| title_full | Anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissue |
| title_fullStr | Anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissue |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissue |
| title_short | Anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissue |
| title_sort | anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissue |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-022-00270-3 |
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