Hair-Cycle Dependent Differential Expression of ADAM 10 and ADAM 12

In the 2009 study, researchers analyzed the expression of ADAM 10 and ADAM 12 proteases in human hair follicles across different hair cycle stages in samples from 30 individuals. They discovered that ADAM 10 was expressed in the cytoplasm of keratinocytes and fibroblasts in the hair bulb during the early anagen phase and in the outer root sheath during catagen and telogen phases. ADAM 12, however, was not found in early anagen hair bulb keratinocytes but was present in the inner root sheath during anagen IV-V stages and was strongly expressed in the outer root sheath during catagen and telogen. The study concluded that ADAM 10 may be involved in the induction and development of anagen hair follicles, while ADAM 12 may play a role in the differentiation and apoptosis of hair follicle keratinocytes, suggesting their importance in hair cycle regulation and potential as therapeutic targets for hair-related disorders.