Twist1 Contributes to the Maintenance of Some Biological Properties of Dermal Papilla Cells In Vitro by Forming a Complex With Tcf4 and β-Catenin

The document presents a study that explored the role of the transcription factor Twist1 in the maintenance of biological properties of dermal papilla cells (DPCs), which are essential for hair follicle regeneration. The study revealed that Twist1 enhances the agglutinative growth and proliferation of DPCs by forming a complex with Tcf4 and β-catenin. This complex upregulates the expression of genes such as c-myc and survivin, as well as the secretion of growth factors like HGF, VEGF, and IGF-1, which are known to promote hair growth. The study did not find a significant increase in cyclin D1 expression with Twist1 overexpression. These findings suggest that the Twist1/Tcf4/β-catenin complex could be a potential target for hair loss treatments. The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing, and it was approved by the Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of the Third Military Medical University.