Protein that controls hair growth also keeps stem cells slumbering

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Hair pressure. In mouse hair follicles where skin stem cells reside the NFATc1 protein regulates a checkpoint that controls the cells reproduction (left). But in mice that lack NFATc1 (right) stem cells begin to proliferate and quickly ratchet up the ...
Hair pressure. In mouse hair follicles, where skin stem cells reside, the NFATc1 protein regulates a checkpoint that controls the cells’ reproduction (left). But in mice that lack NFATc1 (right), stem cells begin to proliferate and quickly ratchet up the production of new hair. Credit: Rockefeller University

Like fine china and crystal, which tend to be used sparingly, stem cells divide infrequently. It was thought they did so to protect themselves from unnecessary wear and tear. But now new research from Rockefeller University has unveiled the protein that puts the brakes on stem cell division and shows that stem cells may not need such guarded protection to maintain their potency.


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