Neurogenic Inflammation in Stress-Induced Termination of Murine Hair Growth Is Promoted by Nerve Growth Factor

In the 2004 study, researchers found that stress in mice leads to an increase in nerve growth factor (NGF) and changes in its receptors, which contributes to the premature onset of catagen, apoptosis, and activation of immune cells in the skin, indicating a stress response. Neutralizing NGF reduced these effects, suggesting that NGF is a key player in the neurogenic inflammation that causes stress-induced hair loss. The study involved groups of 10-11 mice and assessed at least 100 individual hair follicles per mouse, indicating a substantial sample size for the conclusions drawn. The findings imply that targeting NGF could be a therapeutic approach for stress-related hair loss conditions.