Decision Letter: Coordinated Hedgehog Signaling Induces New Hair Follicles in Adult Skin
May 2019
TLDR Hedgehog signaling can create new hair follicles but may also cause tumors.
Sun et al. demonstrated that localized Hedgehog (Hh) signaling could induce the formation of new hair follicles in adult mouse skin, specifically at the touch dome, while diffuse activation did not. The study found that approximately 2% of hair follicles in Gli1creERT2/R26Tom/Ptch1fl/fl mice were newly formed, characterized by thinner and bent hair shafts, and capable of cycling through hair growth phases. However, the activation of Hh signaling also resulted in basal cell carcinoma, with immature and abnormal follicles potentially part of the tumor. The study highlighted the potential and risks of using Hh signaling for hair regeneration therapies, as high levels of Hh signaling could induce new follicles but also posed a risk of tumor development.
