Topobiology of Human Pigmentation: P-Cadherin Selectively Stimulates Hair Follicle Melanogenesis

The study demonstrated that P-cadherin played a crucial role in regulating human hair follicle melanogenesis, but not epidermal pigmentation. Silencing P-cadherin in hair follicles led to significant reductions in melanin content, tyrosinase activity, and the expression of key melanogenic markers such as gp100, stem cell factor, c-Kit, and MITF. This effect was mediated through the GSK3β/Wnt pathway. The findings suggested potential therapeutic strategies for modulating hair pigmentation and provided insights into the pathobiological consequences of CDH3 gene mutations in related syndromes. The study involved re-analysis of hair follicles from five patients.