An investigation of crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin and transforming growth factor-β signaling in androgenetic alopecia
July 2016
in “Medicine”
TLDR Wnt/β-catenin and TGF-β pathways affect hair loss, and activating Wnt/β-catenin could be a potential treatment.
This study investigated the crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathways in androgenetic alopecia (AGA). The study found that the mRNA level of Wnt10a and LEF1 was decreased, but TBRI and TØRII, and the protein expression of TGF-B1 was elevated in balding hair follicles. The study also found that crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin and TGF-β signaling pathways may exist as one of the important mechanisms contributing to AGA. The study involved 15 men with AGA, aging between 22 and 47 years. The study suggests that the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling may be a potential therapeutic target for AGA.
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