TLDR The HCR gene contributes to psoriasis risk.
The study investigated the role of the HCR gene in psoriasis by creating transgenic mice with either a non-risk or risk allele of HCR. Despite appearing phenotypically normal, mice with the risk allele showed gene expression changes similar to those observed in human psoriatic skin, such as upregulation of cytokeratins 6, 16, and 17. These findings suggested that HCR is a significant gene within the PSORS1 locus and that it contributes to psoriasis susceptibility, although it is not solely responsible for the clinical manifestation of the disease.
100 citations
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December 2002 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry” Researchers mapped and categorized specific keratin-associated protein genes on human chromosome 21q22.1.
127 citations
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April 1999 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Rodent models helped understand psoriasis but none perfectly replicated the disease.
150 citations
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April 1997 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” 
28 citations
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April 1996 in “Cell biology international” Changes in keratin affect skin health and can lead to skin disorders like blistering diseases and psoriasis.
221 citations
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June 1992 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” Interleukin 6 may help protect skin without causing inflammation.
409 citations
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May 1991 in “Genes & Development” TGF-alpha affects skin thickness, hair growth, and may contribute to psoriasis and papilloma formation.
April 2018 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” A gene variant causes patched hair loss in mice, similar to alopecia areata in humans.
19 citations
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July 2020 in “EBioMedicine” A gene variant increases the risk of a type of hair loss by affecting hair protein production.
December 2020 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” Stress can cause a type of hair loss in mice lacking the CCHCR1 gene.
87 citations
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July 2009 in “Journal of Cell Science” Deleting the CDSN gene causes severe skin and hair problems, leading to death.
143 citations
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January 2007 in “The American Journal of Human Genetics” Certain genes on chromosomes 6, 10, 16, and 18 may increase the risk of alopecia areata.
