The Role of Twist1 in UVB-Induced Skin Carcinogenesis

The study demonstrated that the deletion of the transcription factor Twist1 in skin keratinocytes significantly suppressed UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis in mice. Twist1 knockout (KO) mice showed reduced epidermal hyperproliferation and increased keratinocyte differentiation, as evidenced by decreased proliferation markers and increased differentiation markers. Overexpression of Twist1 suppressed differentiation, while its deletion led to the depletion of hair follicle stem/progenitor markers. The natural compound Harmine was found to degrade Twist1, inhibiting UVB-induced proliferation and promoting differentiation, similar to Twist1 KO effects. These findings suggested that Twist1 played a crucial role in regulating proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal in the epidermis, highlighting its potential as a target for skin cancer prevention.