DKK1-Targeting Cholesterol-Modified siRNA Implication in Hair Growth Regulation

May 2023 in “ Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications ”

Dimitri Papukashvili, Cong Liu, Nino Rcheulishvili, Fengfei Xie, Xinyun Wang, Shunping Feng, Xiaonan Sun, Chi Zhang, Yingyu Li, Yaohua He, Peng George Wang

DKK1 cholesterol-modified siRNA Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway androgenetic alopecia small interfering RNA siRNA hair regeneration subcutaneous injections AGA hair growth hair loss

Studysummary This study found that DKK1-targeting siRNA, which may activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, showed hair growth results in mice similar to those treated with the FDA-approved minoxidil, suggesting potential as an androgenetic alopecia therapy. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The study "DKK1-targeting cholesterol-modified siRNA implication in hair growth regulation" investigates the role of DKK1, an inhibitor of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, in hair growth. The researchers found that patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) had significantly higher concentrations of DKK1 in their scalp tissue. The study used small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology to target DKK1, with the siRNA sequence validated in vitro and in vivo through subcutaneous injections on mice. The results showed that DKK1-targeting siRNA significantly enhanced hair regeneration compared to the control group, suggesting that inhibiting DKK1 could be a critical factor in promoting hair growth and developing an effective treatment for AGA.

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research Perspectives on MicroRNAs Targeting DKK1 for Developing Hair Regeneration Therapy

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54 citations , April 2019 in “Journal of cellular physiology”

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This study found that both androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata showed significantly increased DKK-1 expression, potentially implicating it in the pathogenesis and as a treatment target for these conditions.

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The researchers reported that DHT-inducible DKK-1 may play a significant role in DHT-driven balding by inhibiting hair follicle cell growth and promoting apoptosis in androgenetic alopecia.