TLDR Autophagy changes the protein makeup of hair.
The study "Autophagy Controls the Protein Composition of Hair Shafts" used hair from 13 mice to investigate the role of autophagy, a major intracellular degradation process, in hair formation. The results showed that while inhibiting autophagy did not cause significant defects in hair, it did change the molecular composition of hair shafts. Specifically, autophagy was found to reduce the concentration of noncytoskeletal proteins in the mature hair shaft, while increasing the synthesis of a few structural proteins. The study also found that regulators of protein homeostasis were particularly elevated in hair from mice with autophagy inhibited, suggesting they are preferential substrates of autophagy during normal hair keratinocyte differentiation. This suggests that dysfunctions of autophagy could potentially be detected noninvasively through proteomics of hair shafts.
17 citations,
May 2020 in “Forensic Science International Genetics” Genetically variant peptides are reliable for forensic identification despite age-related changes in hair proteins.
88 citations,
June 2019 in “Cell reports” Certain small molecules can promote hair growth by activating a cellular cleanup process called autophagy.
27 citations,
July 2018 in “Experimental dermatology” Autophagy is crucial for normal sebaceous gland function and sebum composition.
February 2025 in “Animals” Understanding proteins in skin structures like claws and hair is crucial for future research.
May 2024 in “Clinical Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology” Manipulating cell cleanup processes could help treat hair loss.
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September 2021 in “International Journal of Nanomedicine” Tiny particles called extracellular vesicles show promise for treating skin conditions and promoting hair growth.
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May 2020 in “Dermatology Research and Practice” Proteoglycans are important for hair growth, and a specific treatment can help reduce hair loss.
March 2021 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” Removing a specific gene in certain skin cells causes hair loss on the body by disrupting normal hair development.
