Inherited disorders of the skin in human and mouse: from development to differentiation.

Over the past decade, significant progress was made in understanding the development and differentiation of hair follicles and the epidermis, largely through studying human inherited diseases and mouse mutants with hair and epidermal defects. Research into conditions like ectodermal dysplasias and Gorlin syndrome helped identify crucial signaling pathways for hair follicle formation. Epidermolytic diseases and hyperkeratoses highlighted the role of keratin expression programs, while ichthyoses provided insights into cornification, the final stage of epidermal development. Additionally, various diseases and mouse models exhibiting alopecias shed light on the critical pathways controlling the hair follicle cycle.