Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and associated proteoglycans have important functions in homeostatic maintenance and regenerative processes (e.g., wound repair) of the skin. However, little is known about the role of these molecules in the regulation of the hair follicle cycle. Here we report that growing human hair follicles ex vivo in a defined GAG hydrogel mimicking the dermal matrix strongly promotes sustained cell survival and maintenance of a highly proliferative phenotype in the hair bulb and suprabulbar regions. This significant effect is associated with the activation of WNT/β-catenin signaling targets (CCDN1, AXIN2) and with the expression of stem cell markers (CK15, CD34) and growth factors implicated in the telogen/anagen transition (TGFβ2, FGF10). As a whole, these results point to the dermal GAG matrix as an important component in the regulation of the human hair follicle growth cycle, and to GAG-based hydrogels as potentially relevant modulators of this process both in vitro and in vivo.
Keywords: BMP/SMAD; TGFβ; WNT/β-catenin; glycosaminoglycans; human hair follicle; hyaluronic acid; stem cells.