Constitutive Activation of Stat3 in Mouse Epidermis Is Linked to Hair Deficiency and Cytoskeletal Network Damage

The study investigated the role of Stat3 in hair follicle (HF) formation and its link to hair disorders such as alopecia. Researchers used transgenic mice with constitutively active Stat3 in their epidermis and compared them to wild-type mice. They found that approximately 70 genes were upregulated, and 63 were downregulated in the transgenic mice. Notably, 33 of the upregulated genes were related to HF, including trichohyalin and hair keratins, which are crucial for hair structure. The aberrant expression of these genes led to hair loss and structural disorganization in the hair follicles of the transgenic mice. Additionally, 26 downregulated genes were related to cytoskeletal proteins, suggesting that Stat3 negatively affected keratinocyte shape and motility. The findings indicated that constitutive Stat3 activation disrupted HF and cytoskeletal gene regulation, impairing hair growth and cycling. This research highlighted the potential of targeting Stat3 pathways for developing new treatments for hair disorders.