July 2026 in “Cell Transplantation” This study systematically reviewed 43 articles on the role of fibroblasts, especially dermal papilla cells, in androgenic alopecia, identifying androgen signaling and related pathways as key drivers of hair follicle miniaturization, which supports targeting dermal papilla cell dysfunction as a therapeutic strategy.
November 2025 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Skin-associated cartilage cells can influence hair growth by altering specific signaling pathways.
September 2026 in “Advanced Materials Technologies” In a mouse model study, researchers developed a methacrylated hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel microneedle patch co-loaded with finasteride and a carbon monoxide-releasing molecule for androgenetic alopecia, which showed better hair regrowth and safety compared to traditional treatments, offering an innovative approach with minimized systemic side effects.
54 citations
,
January 2009 in “Development” This study concluded that Wnt/β-catenin signaling, through Shh and Bmp pathways, is crucial for determining hair follicle fate in embryonic epidermal development.
243 citations
,
October 2003 in “Developmental biology” This study identified ectodin as a novel BMP inhibitor that modulates BMP signaling in ectodermal development by interacting with SHH and FGF pathways.
1 citations
,
September 2023 in “eLife” This study found that TLR2 expression in hair follicle stem cells is crucial for hair follicle maintenance and regeneration, with TLR2-dependent activation potentially offering new therapeutic approaches for hair loss prevention through mechanisms involving immune pathways and CEP administration.
26 citations
,
September 2018 in “Journal of Molecular Cell Biology” This study observed that Endoglin is crucial for maintaining correct hair follicle cycling and stimulating hair follicle stem cell niches through feedback interactions involving Wnt/β-catenin and Bmp/Smad signaling pathways in a mouse model.
December 2009 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” This study found that in keratin 14-targeted transgenic mice, BMP antagonism via noggin led to the development of hair follicle tumors, mediated through alterations in Wnt and Shh signaling pathways.
3 citations
,
August 2023 in “Genes” This review summarizes current research on molecular pathways, such as Wnt and Notch, that regulate feather follicle development in yellow-feathered broilers, highlighting their potential impact on poultry carcass quality and suggesting areas for future study.
32 citations
,
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.
68 citations
,
April 2012 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” The study reports that Fgf18 and Tgf-β2 signaling pathways in hair follicle stem cells have opposing effects on the timing of hair cycle transitions, influencing the shift from telogen to anagen phases.
June 2025 in “Stem Cell Research & Therapy” This review highlights recent advancements in androgenetic alopecia treatment, focusing on the dysregulated signaling pathways involved in hair follicle regeneration and exploring innovative therapeutic strategies, including small molecule modulators and gene editing technologies, which show promise in preclinical models.
163 citations
,
April 2019 in “Nature Communications” This study found that mechanical skin stretching can stimulate hair stem cell proliferation and hair regeneration by activating a complex pathway involving WNT, BMP-2, and M2 macrophages.
14 citations
,
April 2016 in “Cell Transplantation” This study found that neural stem cell extract enhanced hair growth in mice and cells by stimulating hair follicle niches and activating signaling pathways like TGF-β and BMP.
January 2015 in “OhioLink ETD Center (Ohio Library and Information Network)” This animal study found that high dietary vitamin A levels altered hair cycling by affecting WNT and BMP signaling pathways in mice, which could be reversed by reducing vitamin A intake.
May 2013 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” This review discusses the role of BMP/Wnt signaling in regulating stem cell homeostasis and activation but reports no new experimental findings.
20 citations
,
November 2014 in “Developmental Dynamics” This review explores the similarities between wound healing, palatogenesis, and orofacial clefting, suggesting these processes share common pathways and genetic regulatory mechanisms, but reports no new experimental results.
13 citations
,
November 2013 in “Journal of Endocrinology/Journal of endocrinology” This study found that the vitamin D receptor, but not its ligand, regulates genes involved in hair cycle progression, suggesting a role in integrating hormone signaling pathways for hair and epidermal functions.
6 citations
,
November 2020 in “Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology” This study found that androgens downregulate BMP2 in dermal papilla cells, inhibiting hair follicle stem cell differentiation, while BMP2 addition may restore hair lineage differentiation through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
59 citations
,
March 2008 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This review examines the roles of Smad-4 and Smad-7 in hair follicle differentiation and development through BMP signaling and TGFβ/Activin/BMP pathway inhibition but reports no new experimental results.
53 citations
,
February 2015 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that inactivating CerS4 in mice led to hair follicle stem cell exhaustion and hair loss, indicating its role in regulating hair regeneration through ceramide composition and signaling pathways.
March 2024 in “Vestnik Rossijskogo universiteta družby narodov. Seriâ Agronomiâ i životnovodstvo” In this study, the researchers used a transgenic mouse model to examine how Wnt and Shh signalling impact skin tumour development when BMP is inhibited, finding that inhibiting Wnt and Shh pathways significantly slows tumour formation in these mice.
408 citations
,
January 2017 in “Science” This study found that hair follicles in mice and humans can convert wound-related myofibroblasts into adipocytes, suggesting a potential pathway to reduce scar formation by activating BMP signaling.
132 citations
,
August 2008 in “Development” This research found that Dlx3 plays a central role in hair formation and regeneration, with its absence leading to alopecia through disrupted differentiation and signaling pathways.
103 citations
,
March 2011 in “PLoS Biology” This study found that a mutation in the BMP12/GDF7 gene is associated with the Naked neck trait in chickens, reducing neck feathering due to altered signaling pathways.
9 citations
,
July 2001 in “Cell” This review discusses historical and recent advances in understanding the embryonic organizer's role in patterning during development, including molecular pathways and future research challenges, but reports no new experimental data.
May 2026 in “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy” This study found that rete ridge morphogenesis in mammalian skin is directed by a BMP-dependent developmental program, which is evolutionarily distinct from other known pathways controlling the development of hair follicles, sweat glands, and fingerprint ridges.
This study found that ocu-miR-205 influences hair follicle density in Rex rabbits by promoting dermal papilla cell apoptosis and transforming hair follicles from growth to resting phases through signaling pathway modulation.
September 2017 in “Korean journal of acupuncture” This study found that Crataegi Fructus water extract may promote hair growth in mice by enhancing hair density, thickness, and length and activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
18 citations
,
April 2014 in “Stem cells” The researchers reported that minor salivary gland stem cells exhibit stem cell characteristics and respond to tobacco-derived carcinogens, implicating the transforming growth factor beta pathway in their maintenance.