Increased Expression of Zyxin and Its Potential Function in Androgenetic Alopecia

January 2021 in “ Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ”

Qing-Mei Liu, Xiangguang Shi, Yue Zhang, Yan Huang, Kai Yang, Yulong Tang, Yanyun Ma, Yuting Zhang, Ji'an Wang, Li Zhang, Qi Zhang, Xiao Liu, Jingyu Lin, Jing Wang, Wenyu Wu

Zyxin ZYX androgenetic alopecia hair follicles dermal papilla cells hair regrowth hair shaft catagen DPC proliferation hair follicle miniaturization AGA HFs DPCs

Studysummary This study found that elevated expression of the protein Zyxin in hair follicles is associated with androgenetic alopecia and suggests it may be targeted for therapy.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The study found that Zyxin (ZYX) expression was significantly upregulated in the frontal hair follicles (HFs) and dermal papilla cells (DPCs) of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) patients. Using 20 paired HF tissues, researchers observed a ~2-fold increase in ZYX mRNA levels in the frontal HFs compared to unaffected occipital HFs. ZYX deletion in mice promoted hair regrowth, evidenced by longer and thicker hair shafts, increased bulb diameter, and thicker skin. Knockdown of ZYX in human HFs and DPCs led to increased hair shaft production, delayed catagen entry, and enhanced DPC proliferation. These findings suggest that ZYX plays a stimulatory role in AGA and that its inhibition could be a potential therapeutic target for promoting hair growth and preventing hair follicle miniaturization.

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