Paracrine Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 4 Inhibits Melanocyte Differentiation in Hair Follicle

The study from 2017 explored the effects of secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (sFRP4) on melanocyte differentiation within hair follicles. It was discovered that sFRP4, which is expressed by skin epidermal cells, inhibits melanocyte differentiation by antagonizing the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. This was demonstrated through in vivo experiments involving the injection of sFRP4 into mouse skin and in vitro tests showing sFRP4's ability to reverse Wnt3a-induced melanogenesis in melanocyte progenitor cells. The findings suggest that sFRP4 acts as a paracrine inhibitor of melanogenesis in hair follicles, which could be relevant for developing treatments for skin pigmentation disorders. However, the document does not provide specific details on the number of subjects or the statistical significance of the results.