Hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) are indispensable for skin repair, hair growth, development, and regeneration. One major challenge in primary cell culture is achieving efficient growth while maintaining stemness to achieve a high yield. Various factors, including the Rho-associated protein kinase inhibitor Y-27632, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and vitamin C are known to regulate the growth of cells. Here, we investigated the optimal concentrations of Y-27632, LIF, bFGF, and vitamin C for promoting goat HFSCs (gHFSCs) proliferation and pluripotency. We further found that the combination of Y-27632 and bFGF exhibited optimal growth conditions. These findings offer valuable insights into the factors affecting gHFSC culture and potential applications for studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying periodic HF growth and gene function associated with HF development.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.