Hair folicles could help with sensory nerves and eczema, claim London researchers

Scientists in London may have cracked the code when it comes to our sense of touch.

Research at Imperical College London (ICL) found that that cells within hair follicles – the structures that surround the hair fibre – are also able to detect the sensation of touch. Previously, it was thought this could only be done through nerve endings in the skin. The researchers also found that these hair follicle cells release the neurotransmitters histamine and serotonin in response to touch – findings that might help us in future to understand histamine’s role in inflammatory skin diseases like eczema.

The researchers also conducted the same experiments with cells from the skin instead of the hair follicle. The cells responded to light touch by releasing histamine, but they didn’t release serotonin.

Lead author of the paper Dr Claire Higgins, from ICL's department of bioengineering, said: “This is a surprising finding as we don’t yet know why hair follicle cells have this role in processing light touch. Since the follicle contains many sensory nerve endings, we now want to determine if the hair follicle is activating specific types of sensory nerves for an unknown but unique mechanism.

"This is interesting as histamine in the skin contributes to inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, and it has always been presumed that immune cells called mast cells release all the histamine. Our work uncovers a new role for skin cells in the release of histamine, with potential applications for eczema research."

Co-author of the paper Dr Parastoo Hashemi, also from the department of bioengineering, is an expert in fast scan cyclic voltammetry. She added: “Fast scan cyclic voltammetry allowed us to see the effect of touch on these cells in real time. It’s an exciting finding as it opens up so many more questions for these cells: why do they have this role, and what else can we learn from them about how our skin senses touch?”