[A review of studies on hair follicle dermal sheath cells].

The dermal sheath surrounding the outside of the hair follicle maintains and regenerates the dermal papilla, a necessary component for hair regeneration. Dermal sheath cells participate in skin wound healing and have some characteristics of adult stem cells such as immuneprivilege, multiple differentiation and plasticity. It is likely that dermal sheath cells will be the new cynosure in the research on wound healing and tissue engineering. Here we review the studies of hair follicle dermal sheath in present years.