PLOS Science Wednesday: Hi Reddit, I'm Zhengquan Yu, Here to Talk About My Recent PLOS Genetics Paper That Has Identified the Key Role of a MicroRNA in Hair Loss. I'm Joined by Maksim Plikus, Who Studies

Zhengquan Yu and Maksim Plikus discussed their research on the role of microRNA miR-22 in hair loss, published in PLOS Genetics. Their study demonstrated that miR-22 is crucial in regulating the regression of mouse hair follicles. Increased levels of miR-22 led to hair loss in mice by causing premature follicle regression, while miR-22 silenced keratin-mediated hair shaft assembly, which is necessary for this regression. This research highlighted the importance of understanding the microRNA regulatory network in hair cycling and provided new insights into the mechanisms behind premature hair follicle regression and hair loss pathology.