1994 Rochat, Kobayashi, Barrandon

 
Location of stem cells of human hair follicles by clonal analysis. Cell. 1994;76:1063-73.
 

Message

 
Contrary to studies of the vibrissa of rats, the measurement of the ability of keratinocytes to form colonies indicates that stem cells in human follicles cluster in the region below the midpoint of the follicle, outside the region of the "hair bulb" and beneath the bulge.
 

Critique

 
Rochat et al. found that stem cells in human follicles are situated in a region beneath the isthmus, which suggests that the premise of the bulge-activation hypothesis, namely, stem cells are housed in "the bulge" of mice, does not apply to humans. We share that view.
From the Institute. Mr. Radonich is a fourth-year medical student at Jefferson Medical College who took a two-month elective at the institute. Dr. Misciali was a Visiting Fellow at the Institute and now is in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Bologna. Dr. Ackerman is Director of the Institute.