TLDR Overexpressing ATF3 in mice's epithelial cells may lead to oral cancer.
The study investigated the effects of overexpressing the transcription factor ATF3 in basal epithelial cells of transgenic mice. Researchers observed strong nuclear expression of ATF3 in the epidermis, hair follicles, and oral mucosa, leading to hyperplastic changes in hair follicles and mild hyperplasia in the interfollicular epidermis. Although no epidermal tumors were found in the mice over a 16-month period, significant oral mucosal changes were noted, including hyperplasia, dysplasia, and neoplastic lesions such as oral squamous cell carcinoma (60% incidence) and basal cell tumors with follicular differentiation (70% incidence). These findings suggested that ATF3 might have oncogenic properties in epithelial cells, marking the first indication of such a role.
1279 citations
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November 2005 in “Nature Medicine” 23 citations
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February 2004 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Keratin in mouse hair follicles is complex and plays specific roles.
425 citations
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August 2002 in “BioEssays” The cornified cell envelope forms a protective barrier in skin and hair, using specific proteins and lipids to maintain effectiveness.
854 citations
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February 2002 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Understanding hair follicle development can help treat hair loss, skin regeneration, and certain skin cancers.
38 citations
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October 2001 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Keratin K6irs is a marker for the inner root sheath of hair follicles in mice and humans.
45 citations
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March 2001 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” A new protein, mK6irs, is found in specific hair layers and may help understand hair growth and diseases.
380 citations
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March 2000 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” 333 citations
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March 2000 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”
10 citations
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October 2000 in “PubMed” The study investigated the effects of expressing human papillomavirus type 16 E6/E7 oncogenes in the outer root sheath of hair follicles in transgenic mice. These mice exhibited a fur phenotype with lower hair density but faster hair regeneration compared to wild-type mice. The expression of these oncogenes extended the growth phase (anagen) of hair follicles and bypassed the resting phase (telogen), leading to continuous hair follicle cycling. Although the first hair growth cycle appeared normal, the second cycle showed delayed initiation of catagen and insensitivity to telogen resting signals, even with estradiol present. This indicated that E6/E7 expression in the ORS delayed catagen entry and prevented telogen rest, resulting in ongoing hair follicle cycling.
94 citations
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February 1994 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” EGF makes hair follicles grow longer but stops hair production.
59 citations
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August 1981 in “PubMed” Trichilemmal keratinization is a unique process in hair follicles where the outer root sheath turns into keratin without a specific layer.
