Identification of organ inductive hair follicle stem cells and its regulation mechanism

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H07454
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: General medical chemistry
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Takeo Makoto 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 多細胞システム形成研究センター, 研究員 (50782116)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 毛包上皮性幹細胞 / 毛包 / 培養 / 器官再生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aims of this project are to elucidate the mechanism underlying the organ induction ability of hair follicle epithelial stem cells (EpiSCs) and simultaneously maintain undifferentiated status and proliferative capacity and apply to achieve hair follicle regeneration as a milestone of next generation regenerative medicine. We successfully established the culture method of bulge cells, in which EpiSCs harbors, and identified the candidate cell population for organ inductive EpiSCs and the signaling pathways involved in simultaneously maintain undifferentiated status and proliferative capacity of EpiSCs. Moreover, we confirmed that epithelial cells isolated from human scalp hair follicle can be cultured using similar culture condition. This study showed the possibility of realization of follicular organ regenerative medicine along with the academic knowledge of adult tissue stem cells that bosses the ability to induce three dimensional organs.

Free Research Field

幹細胞生物学、再生生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、周期的な毛包再生能を維持したまま毛包上皮性幹細胞を増幅できる培養方法の開発に成功するとともに、長期間の器官誘導能力の維持にはCD34/ Itga6/Itgb 5三重陽性細胞が重要であることが明らかとなった。
本成果は、毛包上皮性幹細胞の周期的な毛包再生や分化、運命決定のメカニズムや、上皮性幹細胞間の細胞系譜の理解などの幹細胞生物学研究に大きな貢献するとともに、本研究により確立された培養方法を応用することで、少数の毛包から大量の再生毛包を人為的に製造できることから、世界初の器官再生医療である毛包器官再生医療（毛髪再生）の実現に大きく貢献すると期待される