Autophagy Controls Epidermal Tumour Formation and Hair Follicle Stem Cell Activation

The study "568 Autophagy Controls Epidermal Tumour Formation and Hair Follicle Stem Cell Activation" demonstrates that autophagy, a cellular recycling program, plays a crucial role in controlling skin inflammation, tumorigenesis, and hair follicle stem cell activation. When autophagy was selectively removed in keratinocytes, the skin cells became more sensitive to inflammation and skin tumor formation. These autophagy-deficient keratinocytes also showed a unique 'hair growth' signature, and mice lacking keratinocyte autophagy experienced early onset of hair follicle growth, indicating early activation of hair follicle stem cells. This suggests that keratinocyte autophagy is a key mechanism controlling the timing of hair follicle stem cell activation.