P53 Involvement in the Control of Murine Hair Follicle Regression

The study from 2001 explored the role of the p53 protein in hair follicle regression in mice, specifically during the catagen phase. It was found that p53 protein expression increased and was associated with apoptotic markers in regressing hair follicles. In p53 knockout mice, there was a significant delay in catagen progression and fewer apoptotic cells in the hair matrix compared to wild-type mice. Alterations in the expression of p53 target genes, such as Bax, Bcl-2, and IGF-BP3, were also observed in p53 null hair follicles. These results suggest that p53 is involved in controlling apoptosis during the catagen phase of the hair cycle, and manipulating p53 could be a potential therapeutic approach for hair growth disorders. The study involved 10 eight-week-old C57BL/6 female mice and 12 p53 knockout and wild-type mice aged 8-10 weeks, but the exact number of mice used in each experiment was not specified.