Hair Follicles Modulate Skin Barrier Function

June 2024 in “ Cell Reports ”

Noah C. Ford, Rachel E. Benedeck, Matthew T. Mattoon, Jamie K. Peterson, Arlee L. Mesler, Natalia A. Veniaminova, Danielle J. Gardon, Shih-Ying Tsai, Yoshikazu Uchida, Sunny Y. Wong

hair follicles skin barrier function Abca12 gene harlequin ichthyosis upper hair follicle epidermis desquamation sebum release IL-17a

TLDR Hair follicles play a crucial role in regulating skin barrier function.

This study investigates the role of hair follicles in modulating skin barrier function by using a genetic tool to ablate the Abca12 gene, which is linked to harlequin ichthyosis. The research identifies four ways hair follicles influence the skin barrier: the upper hair follicle (uHF) forms a barrier, disruption in the uHF triggers responses in the epidermis, deletion of Abca12 in the uHF affects desquamation and sebum release, and barrier disruption causes uHF cells to migrate into the epidermis. Additionally, neutralizing IL-17a, which is highly expressed in the uHF, partially alleviates some disease symptoms. These findings highlight hair follicles as key regulators of skin barrier function.

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