Expression and Function of FGF5 Isoform in Hair Growth

The study investigated the role of FGF5 isoforms in hair growth, focusing on the long form (FGF5) and the short form (FGF5s). It was found that overexpression of FGF5s in cultured keratinocytes led to an increase in hepatic growth factor (HGF) gene expression, suggesting that FGF5s may promote hair growth by activating HGF. Conversely, overexpression of FGF5 appeared to suppress hair growth by inhibiting BMP6 expression. These findings suggest that the different isoforms of FGF5 have opposing effects on hair growth, with FGF5s potentially acting as a stimulator and FGF5 as an inhibitor.