TLDR Androgens cause oil-producing skin cells with androgen receptors to mature and produce more oil.
The study established a stable human sebocyte cell line expressing a functional androgen receptor (AR) to investigate the effects of androgens on sebocyte differentiation. Treatment with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in these cells modulated androgen-sensitive genes, decreased stem cell and hair markers, and increased sebocyte markers. DHT also induced lipid synthesis, increased cell size, and led to apoptosis over 7 days. These findings demonstrated that active androgens alone could drive immature sebocytes into a clear lipogenic differentiation process, highlighting the importance of AR in sebaceous function and providing a model for pharmacological testing.
34 citations,
June 2008 in “In vitro cellular & developmental biology. Animal” Scientists created a long-lasting stem cell line from human hair that can turn into different skin and hair cell types.
29 citations,
February 2007 in “Hormone and metabolic research” Blocking the androgen receptor in skin cells reduces their growth response to male hormones, suggesting a possible treatment for skin conditions linked to androgens.
550 citations,
December 2005 in “The Journal of clinical investigation/The journal of clinical investigation” Researchers successfully isolated and identified key markers of stem cell-enriched human hair follicle bulge cells.
196 citations,
May 2001 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Sebocytes play a key role in controlling androgen levels in human skin.
139 citations,
December 1998 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” K6hf is a unique protein found only in a specific layer of hair follicles.
100 citations,
September 2017 in “Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology” Male hormones and their receptors play a key role in hair loss and skin health, with potential new treatments being explored.
16 citations,
July 2012 in “Current pharmaceutical biotechnology” New treatments for skin conditions related to the sebaceous gland are being developed based on current research.
76 citations,
October 2016 in “Clinics in dermatology” Sex hormones, especially androgens, play a key role in causing acne.
97 citations,
September 2016 in “Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders” The sebaceous gland has more roles than just producing sebum and contributing to acne, and new research could lead to better skin disease treatments.
14 citations,
December 2016 in “Sexual Medicine” Finasteride side effects in young men may be linked to specific gene variations.
