Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1a Promotes Trichogenic Gene Expression in Human Dermal Papilla Cells

The study found that hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a), a protein, is suppressed in the scalp tissues of patients with androgenetic alopecia, a common form of hair loss. This suppression was associated with hair follicle development. When HIF-1a was reduced in dermal papilla cells (DPCs), which are crucial for hair growth, the expression of hair growth-related genes decreased. This was observed in a simulated in vivo environment using a three-dimensional spheroid culture. However, when a HIF-1a activator was used, the expression of these hair growth-related genes increased. This suggests that HIF-1a plays a significant role in regulating hair growth genes and could be a potential target for treating hair loss.