Lack of Collagen VI Promotes Wound-Induced Hair Growth

    May 2015 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”
    Peiwen Chen, Matilde Cescon, Paolo Bonaldo
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    Studysummary This study found that collagen VI influences hair follicle growth and wound-induced regrowth by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in mice, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for hair loss. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    The study explored the role of collagen VI in hair follicle biology and wound-induced hair growth. It was found that collagen VI is highly expressed in hair follicles and that its expression increases after skin injury. Mice that lacked collagen VI (Col6a1-/- mice) showed delayed hair cycling under normal conditions but experienced enhanced hair regrowth following wounding, which did not affect overall skin healing. This increased hair regrowth was associated with the activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. The study indicates that collagen VI has a dual function: it regulates hair cycling under normal conditions and promotes hair regrowth after injury. These results could be significant for the development of new hair loss treatments. However, the number of mice used in the study was not mentioned in the summary.
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