The Role of dWAT-Immune Crosstalk in Hair Follicle Microenvironment in Hair Regeneration

Abstract

The hair follicle microenvironment is the core functional unit of hair regeneration. dWAT (Dermal white adipose tissue) is an indispensable component of this microenvironment. Rather than serving as a passive filler, dWAT, through multidimensional mechanisms including cytokines, metabolites, extracellular vesicles, and cell–cell interactions, forms a complex regulatory network with local immune cells and exerts unique immune functions. It is deeply involved in the maintenance of local immune homeostasis, the regulation of the inflammatory response, and hair regeneration. In this review, we summarize the latest research on the effect of adipose-immune interactions on hair growth within the hair follicle microenvironment, focusing on how the dWAT surrounding the hair follicle serves as the foundation of the local adipose-immune interaction microenvironment, and on the regulatory mechanisms by which the immune function of hair follicle dWAT influences hair follicle regeneration. The dynamic remodeling of dWAT along the hair follicle cycle provides key metabolic support for the formation and regulation of the immune microenvironment around the hair follicle, and also constitutes the material basis for the crosstalk among immune cells within the hair follicle. The interaction between dWAT and immune cells affects the hair follicle growth process by regulating the local inflammatory response, immune cell phenotypic switching, and associated signaling pathways.