After Skin Wounding, Noncoding dsRNA Coordinates Prostaglandins and Wnts to Promote Regeneration

The 2017 study "After Skin Wounding, Noncoding dsRNA Coordinates Prostaglandins and Wnts to Promote Regeneration" investigated the role of noncoding dsRNA in skin regeneration post-injury. The researchers found that noncoding dsRNA, released after skin damage, coordinated the activities of prostaglandins and Wnts, both crucial for tissue regeneration. Prostaglandins stimulated hair follicle stem cells, while Wnts promoted hair growth. The study also explored Wound Induced Hair Neogenesis (WIHN), where large wounds in mice led to new hair follicle formation. The researchers discovered that dsRNA-induced Wnt7b expression and WIHN outcomes were prostaglandin-dependent. Inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis reduced Wnt7b production and functional WIHN regeneration in mice, but these effects could be reversed by adding PGE2. The study concluded that understanding this coordination could lead to new treatments for conditions like alopecia and other forms of hair loss.