Effects of All-Trans Retinoic Acid on Goat Dermal Papilla Cells Cultured In Vitro

The study from 2018 examined the impact of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on goat dermal papilla cells (DPCs) in vitro, revealing that high doses of ATRA significantly reduced cell viability, proliferation, and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in these cells. ATRA treatment also downregulated the expression of fibroblast growth factor 7 (Fgf7), a crucial stimulator of hair growth, and increased the expression of the retinoic acid receptor Rarß. These findings suggest that ATRA negatively affects hair growth by impairing the function of DPCs and altering the expression of genes involved in hair biology. The study indicates that excess ATRA could be detrimental to hair growth, and further research is needed to understand its effects on other hair follicle cells. The research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the China Agriculture Research System.