Disrupted Cholesterol Biosynthesis and Hair Follicle Stem Cell Impairment in the Onset of Alopecia
November 2023
in “
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
”
cholesterol biosynthesis hair follicle stem cells HFSCs hair follicle cycling primary cicatricial alopecia PCA 7-dehydrocholesterol 7DHC BM15766 cholesterol inhibition sterol intermediate accumulation apoptosis stem cell characteristics hair regrowth cholesterol production sterol intermediates cholesterol hair stem cells hair cycle cicatricial alopecia cell death hair growth
TLDR Disrupted cholesterol production impairs hair follicle stem cells, leading to hair loss.
The study investigates the role of disrupted cholesterol homeostasis in hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and its impact on hair follicle cycling, particularly in primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA). It was found that patients with PCA exhibit decreased expression of HFSC marker genes, and experiments with 7-dehydrocholesterol (7DHC) and BM15766 in human cells, mice, and organoid cultures showed that cholesterol inhibition and sterol intermediate accumulation disrupt stem cell characteristics and prevent hair regrowth. This leads to apoptosis in stem cells, highlighting the critical role of cholesterol production in maintaining HFSC integrity and functionality. The findings provide new insights into the progression of alopecia and the involvement of sterol intermediates in hair follicle cycling and stem cell function.
