Role of Collagen VI in Peripheral Nerves and Wound-Induced Hair Regrowth
January 2015
collagen VI peripheral nerve function wound-induced hair growth Schwann cells hypermyelination C-fibers nerve conduction velocity sensorimotor dysfunction macrophage migration macrophage polarization nerve regeneration hair follicles Keratin 79 Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway collagen 6 nerve function hair growth nerve cells myelination nerve fibers nerve signal speed nerve function issues immune cell movement immune cell function nerve healing hair roots K79 Wnt signaling
TLDR Collagen VI is crucial for nerve function and affects wound-induced hair regrowth.
The 2015 PhD study investigated the role of collagen VI in peripheral nerve function and wound-induced hair growth. It found that collagen VI, produced by Schwann cells, is essential for the structural integrity and proper function of peripheral nerves. Absence of collagen VI in mice resulted in hypermyelination, disorganized C-fibers, impaired nerve conduction velocity, and sensorimotor dysfunction. Collagen VI was also found to be critical for macrophage migration and polarization during peripheral nerve regeneration, with its absence delaying nerve regeneration and impairing macrophage migration. The study also discovered that collagen VI is significantly present in hair follicles and is dramatically increased by skin wounding. Lack of collagen VI promoted wound-induced hair regrowth, triggered by upregulation of Keratin 79 and activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. This suggests that collagen VI could be a potential therapeutic target for hair loss.