Inducible, Reversible Hair Loss in Transgenic Mice

In 2002, researchers developed a transgenic mouse model that exhibited inducible and reversible hair loss, mimicking the human condition of telogen effluvium. The mice had high levels of tetracycline transactivator (tTA) and a luciferase reporter gene, which caused an increase in hair follicles in the telogen phase and a decrease in the anagen phase. The hair loss was reversed with doxycycline treatment. Although the number of mice used was not specified, the study suggested that this model could be valuable for understanding the molecular mechanisms of telogen effluvium and hair loss regulation. The researchers planned to further investigate gene expression profiles in these mice to identify genes associated with hair loss and recovery.