ArticlePloS one2011
Spermidine promotes human hair growth and is a novel modulator of human epithelial stem cell functions.
Article in PloS one, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 70 citations in OpenAlex.
- Homeodynamic Rejuvenation: an adaptive framework for resetting skin aging.Frontiers in aging · 2026Article
- Mapping cell dynamics in human ex vivo hair follicles suggests pulling mechanism of hair growth.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Hair Longevity-Evidence for a Multifactorial Holistic Approach to Managing Hair Aging Changes.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Impact of Thyroid Dysfunction on Hair Disorders.Cureus · 2023Review
- Resolving Geroplasticity to the Balance of Rejuvenins and Geriatrins.Aging and disease · 2022Article
- Research Progress and Potential Applications of Spermidine in Ocular Diseases.Pharmaceutics · 2022Review
- Novel aspects of age-protection by spermidine supplementation are associated with preserved telomere length.GeroScience · 2021Article
- Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(amine)-coated nickel oxide nanoparticles for norfloxacin delivery: antibacterial and cytotoxicity efficiency.RSC advances · 2020Article
- Article
- Aging: A cell source limiting factor in tissue engineering.World journal of stem cells · 2019Review
- A spermidine-based nutritional supplement prolongs the anagen phase of hair follicles in humans: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.Dermatology practical & conceptual · 2017Article
- SOCS3 treatment prevents the development of alopecia areata by inhibiting CD8+ T cell-mediated autoimmune destruction.Oncotarget · 2017Article
- Soft TCPTP Agonism-Novel Target to Rescue Airway Epithelial Integrity by Exogenous Spermidine.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2016Article
- Keratin-6 driven ODC expression to hair follicle keratinocytes enhances stemness and tumorigenesis by negatively regulating Notch.Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 2014Article
- Endothelial progenitor cells: from senescence to rejuvenation.Seminars in nephrology · 2014Review
- Spermidine enhances the silk production by mulberry silkworm.Journal of insect science (Online) · 2014Article
- Spermidine cures flies of senior moments.Nature neuroscience · 2013Article
- l-Citrulline Protects from Kidney Damage in Type 1 Diabetic Mice.Frontiers in immunology · 2013Article
- Article
- Hormesis and Epidermal Stem Cells.Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis SocietyReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 6 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRapidly regenerating tissues need sufficient polyamine synthesis. Since the hair follicle (HF) is a highly proliferative mini-organ, polyamines may also be important for normal hair growth. However, the role of polyamines in human HF biology and their effect on HF epithelial stem cells in situ remains largely unknown. METHODS AND
findingsWe have studied the effects of the prototypic polyamine, spermidine (0.1-1 µM), on human scalp HFs and human HF epithelial stem cells in serum-free organ culture. Under these conditions, spermidine promoted hair shaft elongation and prolonged hair growth (anagen). Spermidine also upregulated expression of the epithelial stem cell-associated keratins K15 and K19, and dose-dependently modulated K15 promoter activity in situ and the colony forming efficiency, proliferation and K15 expression of isolated human K15-GFP+ cells in vitro. Inhibiting the rate-limiting enzyme of polyamine synthesis, ornithine decarboyxlase (ODC), downregulated intrafollicular K15 expression. In primary human epidermal keratinocytes, spermidine slightly promoted entry into the S/G2-M phases of the cell cycle. By microarray analysis of human HF mRNA extracts, spermidine upregulated several key target genes implicated e.g. in the control of cell adherence and migration (POP3), or endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial functions (SYVN1, NACA and SLC25A3). Excess spermidine may restrict further intrafollicular polyamine synthesis by inhibiting ODC gene and protein expression in the HF's companion layer in situ.
conclusionsThese physiologically and clinically relevant data provide the first direct evidence that spermidine is a potent stimulator of human hair growth and a previously unknown modulator of human epithelial stem cell biology.
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