Hair Follicles as a Critical Model for Monitoring the Circadian Clock

January 2023 in “ International Journal of Molecular Sciences ”

Li-Ping Liu, Meng-Huan Li, Yun‐Wen Zheng

circadian clock hair follicles circadian-rhythm-related conditions circadian genes hair growth hair pigmentation light thyroid hormones hair cycle HF aging androgenetic alopecia telogen effluvium hair graying chronobiological studies circadian rhythm HFs clock genes hair loss gray hair

TLDR Hair follicles could be used to noninvasively monitor our body's internal clock and help identify risks for related diseases.

The document discusses the role of circadian (clock) genes in hair follicles (HFs) and their potential use in monitoring circadian-rhythm-related conditions and disorders. These genes regulate physiological processes in HFs, including hair growth and pigmentation, and can be influenced by factors like light and thyroid hormones. The document suggests that HFs could provide a noninvasive method for monitoring circadian rhythms, but using only peripheral tissues like HFs might not be sufficient due to the complexity of circadian biology. The document also explores the role of clock genes in the regulation of the hair cycle, HF aging, and hair pigmentation. It suggests that monitoring the human circadian clock could be an effective approach to study rhythm-related diseases, and hair follicles could serve as a great tool for chronobiological studies. The document also discusses the potential role of circadian rhythms in hair follicle health and related diseases, such as androgenetic alopecia, telogen effluvium, and hair graying. Understanding the circadian traits in HFs could lead to new treatments for these conditions. The document concludes by suggesting that HFs provide a noninvasive method for evaluating individual circadian rhythm traits and identifying people at risk of circadian-rhythm-related diseases.

View this study on mdpi.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Cited in this study

27 / 27 results

research Morphogenesis, Growth Cycle, and Molecular Regulation of Hair Follicles

21 citations , May 2022 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology”

Hair growth and health are influenced by factors like age, environment, and nutrition, and are controlled by various molecular pathways. Red light can promote hair growth, and understanding these processes can help treat hair-related diseases.

research Revisiting the Role of Melatonin in Human Melanocyte Physiology: A Skin Context Perspective

26 citations , March 2022 in “Journal of pineal research”

Melatonin affects skin and hair color and protects skin cells, with potential benefits for hair growth and skin health.

research Disturbance of the Circadian System in Shift Work and Its Health Impact

103 citations , December 2021 in “Journal of biological rhythms”

Shift work disrupts the body's natural clock, leading to health problems.

research Prevalence of Early-Onset Androgenetic Alopecia and Its Relation with Lifestyle and Dietary Habits

2 citations , December 2021 in “Italian journal of dermatology and venereology”

research Psychology of Hair Loss Patients and Importance of Counseling

7 citations , October 2021 in “Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery”

Hair loss patients need psychological counseling to cope better.

research Health-Related Quality of Life, Depression, and Self-Esteem in Patients With Androgenetic Alopecia

15 citations , August 2021 in “JAMA Dermatology”

research Telomere Dynamics and Telomerase in the Biology of Hair Follicles and Their Stem Cells as a Model for Aging Research

12 citations , April 2021 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Hair follicle studies suggest that maintaining telomere length could help treat hair loss and graying, but it's uncertain if mouse results apply to humans.

research Topical L-Thyroxine: The Cinderella Among Hormones Waiting to Dance on the Floor of Dermatological Therapy?

9 citations , August 2020 in “Experimental Dermatology”

Topical L-thyroxine may help with wound healing and hair growth but should be used short-term due to potential risks.

research The Effect of Night Shift Work on the Expression of Clock Genes in Beard Hair Follicle Cells

12 citations , April 2019 in “Sleep medicine”

Night shift work disrupts the body's natural clock genes.

research Human Long-Term Deregulated Circadian Rhythm Alters Regenerative Properties of Skin and Hair Precursor Cells

9 citations , July 2018 in “European journal of dermatology/EJD. European journal of dermatology”

Disrupted sleep patterns can harm skin and hair cell renewal, but melatonin might help.

research External Light Activates Hair Follicle Stem Cells Through Eyes Via an ipRGC–SCN–Sympathetic Neural Pathway

61 citations , June 2018 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”

Light can turn on hair growth cells through a nerve path starting in the eyes.

research A Simple Method Using Ex Vivo Culture of Hair Follicle Tissue to Investigate Intrinsic Circadian Characteristics in Humans

12 citations , July 2017 in “Scientific reports”

Researchers developed a way to study human body clocks using hair tissue, which works similarly in both healthy and dementia patients.

research Molecular Insights Into Chronotype and Time-of-Day Effects on Decision-Making

36 citations , July 2016 in “Scientific reports”

People's decision-making can be influenced by their internal biological clocks, as shown by gene expression, not just self-reported preferences for morning or evening.

research Estimation Methods for Human Circadian Phase Using Peripheral Tissues

14 citations , June 2016 in “Hypertension research”

New method uses hair follicle cells to estimate human body clock phase, potentially improving sleep disorder diagnosis.

research Peripheral Skin Temperature and Circadian Biological Clock in Shift Nurses After a Day Off

49 citations , April 2016 in “International journal of molecular sciences”

Shift nurses show altered body temperature and stress hormone levels, suggesting their body clocks adjust to irregular schedules.

research Hair Follicle Aging Is Driven by Transepidermal Elimination of Stem Cells via COL17A1 Proteolysis

242 citations , February 2016 in “Science”

Hair loss and aging are caused by the breakdown of a key protein in hair stem cells.

research The Peripheral Clock Regulates Human Pigmentation

81 citations , April 2015 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

Certain genes control the color of human hair by affecting pigment production.

research Possible Contribution of Chronobiology to Cardiovascular Health

29 citations , January 2014 in “Frontiers in physiology”

Understanding and tracking our body's natural daily rhythms could help improve heart health.

research An Out-Of-Lab Trial: A Case Example For The Effect Of Intensive Exercise On Rhythms Of Human Clock Gene Expression

21 citations , September 2013 in “Journal of circadian rhythms”

Intense exercise at night can delay the body's internal clock gene expression by 2 to 4 hours.

research The Clock Gene Brain And Muscle Arnt-Like Protein-1 (BMAL1) Is Involved In Hair Growth

9 citations , August 2013 in “Archives of Dermatological Research”

A gene called BMAL1 plays a role in controlling hair growth.

research Local Circadian Clock Gates Cell Cycle Progression of Transient Amplifying Cells During Regenerative Hair Cycling

116 citations , May 2013 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”

Hair grows faster in the morning and is more vulnerable to damage from radiation due to the internal clock in hair follicle cells.

research Brain And Muscle Arnt-Like Protein-1 (BMAL1) Controls Circadian Cell Proliferation And Susceptibility To UVB-Induced DNA Damage In The Epidermis

221 citations , July 2012 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”

BMAL1 controls skin cell growth and UV damage risk, peaking at night.

research Noninvasive Method for Assessing the Human Circadian Clock Using Hair Follicle Cells

166 citations , August 2010 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America”

Scientists found a new, less invasive way to study body clocks using hair cells, which shows shift workers' body clocks don't match their lifestyles.

research The Cycling Hair Follicle as an Ideal Systems Biology Research Model

66 citations , July 2010 in “Experimental Dermatology”

The hair follicle is a great model for research to improve hair growth treatments.

research The Hair Follicle as a Dynamic Mini-Organ

759 citations , February 2009 in “Current Biology”

Hair follicles are complex, dynamic mini-organs that help us understand cell growth, death, migration, and differentiation, as well as tissue regeneration and tumor biology.

research Thyroid Hormones Directly Alter Human Hair Follicle Functions: Anagen Prolongation and Stimulation of Both Hair Matrix Keratinocyte Proliferation and Hair Pigmentation

115 citations , November 2008 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism”

Thyroid hormones help hair grow, reduce hair loss, and increase hair pigment.

research The Hair Cycle

375 citations , February 2006 in “Journal of Cell Science”

The document concludes that the hair cycle is a complex process involving growth, regression, and rest phases, regulated by various molecular signals.

1 / 1 results

research Hair Follicles as a Critical Model for Monitoring the Circadian Clock

5 citations , January 2023 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences”

Hair follicles could be used to noninvasively monitor our body's internal clock and help identify risks for related diseases.