Lack of the Vitamin D Receptor Is Associated with Reduced Epidermal Differentiation and Hair Follicle Growth
January 2002
in “
The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology
”
TLDR Vitamin D Receptor is crucial for normal skin and hair growth.
The study demonstrated that the absence of the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) in knockout mice led to significant disruptions in epidermal differentiation and hair follicle growth, resulting in progressive alopecia and nearly total hair loss by 8 months. Histological analysis revealed dilated hair follicles, dermal cysts, and decreased expression of differentiation markers like involucrin, profilaggrin, and loricrin. Despite normal keratin 10 levels, there was a loss of keratohyalin granules in the granular layer. These findings indicated that VDR is crucial for normal epidermal and hair follicle differentiation.
