Editors' Picks

In 2012, several studies were conducted on autoimmune diseases and hair growth. Ghoreschi and colleagues found that Dimethylfumarate (DMF), a small molecule, improved psoriasis and multiple sclerosis by interfering with IL-12 and IL-23 production, inhibiting Th1/Th17 cells, and inducing Th2 cells. Collins and colleagues discovered that adult dermal fibroblasts could be reprogrammed to a neonatal state by activating ß-catenin in the epidermis, leading to hair follicle neogenesis in adult mouse skin. Festa and colleagues identified adipose precursor cells within the skin that induced follicular stem cell activation and initiated hair growth. Ramirez-Carrozzi and colleagues found that IL-17C, an IL-17 family member, exhibited both protective and pathogenic functions in vivo, controlling homeostasis in the gut mucosa and promoting an inflammatory pathogenic skin phenotype. Lastly, Cai and colleagues found that dermal γδ T cells in the skin were the major source of IL-17 following IL-23 stimulation, promoting the development and progression of skin inflammation and consequently underlying psoriasis pathogenesis.