Klhl24-Mediated Hair Follicle Stem Cells Structural Disruption Causes Alopecia
TLDR A faulty KLHL24 gene leads to hair loss by damaging hair follicle stem cells.
The study explores the role of KLHL24 in hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) and its link to alopecia. KLHL24 mutations result in a more stable protein that degrades keratin 15, crucial for HFSC structure. Using a knock-in mouse model, researchers found that this disruption leads to premature hair loss and HFSC exhaustion. The findings highlight KLHL24's essential role in maintaining HFSC integrity and suggest that its excessive ubiquitination of keratin 15 is a key mechanism in alopecia, with potential implications for other hair loss disorders.
