April 2019 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that, in mice, different precursor populations give rise to Merkel cells in hairy versus glabrous skin, but their formation is controlled by a common genetic program involving FGFR2 signaling.
April 2016 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that Sonic hedgehog signaling is crucial for Merkel cell development around hair follicles in mice, with Polycomb repressive complex 2 loss causing ectopic Merkel cells across all hair types.
April 2017 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that PRC1 plays crucial roles in skin epithelial stem cell regulation, with catalytic and non-catalytic functions impacting epidermal integrity, hair development, and Merkel cell dynamics in murine models.
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February 2019 in “eLife” This study identified key cells and pathways needed for the development of touch receptor patterns in mouse skin, notably that certain keratinocytes are crucial for innervation patterns, while Merkel cells and BMP signaling have distinct roles.
July 2017 in “D-Scholarship@Pitt (University of Pittsburgh)” This study found that canonical Notch signaling inhibits Merkel cell specification during embryogenesis, while skin abrasions decrease Merkel cell number only in hairless mice.
