Immunoexpression of Adhesion Molecules During Human Fetal Hair Development

The study investigated the role of adhesion molecules in human fetal hair development by analyzing the immunoexpression of beta-1 integrin, p-cadherin, e-cadherin, and beta-catenin in 26 skin samples from embryos and fetuses aged 12-23 weeks. It was found that beta-1 integrin and e-cadherin/p-cadherin were expressed from 12 weeks and appeared to regulate epidermis invagination, while beta-catenin was not expressed, suggesting its downregulation might be necessary for hair follicle development. The study concluded that adhesion molecules, particularly integrins and cadherins, were crucial for hair follicle down growth and proliferation, but further research was needed to fully understand hair follicle development.