April 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study used single-cell RNA sequencing to identify at least nine subpopulations of keratinocytes in human neonatal epidermis, revealing unexpected heterogeneity and complex differentiation trajectories.
September 2025 in “OPAL (Open@LaTrobe) (La Trobe University)” This study observed that treating hair follicles with BM15766 and 7DHC led to structural damage, disrupted cellular organization, reduced expression of key genes and proteins, and increased apoptosis, in contrast to controls, indicating detrimental effects on hair follicle integrity.
April 2023 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study found that HPV8-induced actinic keratoses may mechanistically involve Lrig1+ hair follicle keratinocyte stem cells, with the E6 gene promoting downstream STAT3 activity in a mouse model.
54 citations
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September 1999 in “PubMed” This study suggests that immunostaining for Keratin 15 may be a useful tool for differentiating between basal cell carcinoma and trichoepithelioma.
April 2024 in “Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia” February 1985 in “PubMed” January 2011 in “Xibei nongye xuebao” This study found that the K14 promoter exhibited higher activity in skin cell lines compared to other cell lines, while both K14 and K5 promoters were active in all tested cell lines.
11 citations
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October 2002 in “Genetics” This study mapped a spontaneous mouse hair mutation, "hague," to keratin genes on chromosome 15 but found no gene mutations in hague mice.
100 citations
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December 2002 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry” This study identified a domain on human chromosome 21q22.1 containing various high glycine-tyrosine and high sulfur keratin-associated protein genes, revealing their diverse expression in hair-forming cells.
53 citations
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October 2003 in “Genetics” This study identified a mutation hotspot in the caracul (Ca) locus of mice, implicating the mK6irs1/Krt2-6g gene in hair formation and potentially human hair and skin diseases.
32 citations
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February 1998 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study reports the cloning and sequencing of two type II hair-specific keratin genes, ghHb1 and ghHb6, located on chromosome 12q13, which are expressed during hair growth.
This study found that the long non-coding RNA lnc056 promotes the proliferation of hair follicle stem cells by upregulating TRIP6 expression through interaction with the transcription factor HNRNPUL1, suggesting a potential target for hair loss treatment.
December 2023 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” This research examined the transcriptional landscape of quiescent melanocyte stem cells (qMcSCs) in adult female mice, revealing significant heterogeneity within this cell population and identifying novel subpopulations that vary in immune privilege regulation, melanocyte differentiation potential, and neural crest potential.
January 2002 in “Proceedings of The Japanese Society of Animal Models for Human Diseases” In this study, researchers observed distinct morphological differences in hair follicles of mutant mouse genotypes, influenced by the expression levels of keratin2-6g, which is essential for proper hair follicle development.
15 citations
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November 2015 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This study found that keratin 14 may serve as an autoantigen in autoimmune skin diseases, indicated by its altered expression in affected skin and reactivity of patient sera.
11 citations
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June 2016 in “Stem Cell Research” This study found that a multicolor panel of four surface markers can identify new stem cell populations in mouse hair follicles, providing insights into stem cell diversity and gene expression discrepancies during tissue culture.
2 citations
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September 2020 in “Biomedical materials” This study found that recombinant human hair keratin proteins K31 and K81 show greater potential for inducing skin cell differentiation compared to natural keratin coatings.
421 citations
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September 2003 in “Development” This study concluded that label-retaining cells in mouse epidermis differ in their sensitivity to proliferative stimuli, influencing their division and potential transdifferentiation without consistently depleting their population.
April 2023 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” In this study, researchers found that the loss of SETDB1 in epidermal keratinocytes led to altered chromatin states, increased ERV expression, and activation of immune responses, while inhibiting these effects with certain antiviral drugs reduced skin inflammation and hair loss in a mouse model.
January 2000 in “Acta Academiae Medicine Militaris Tertiae” This study found that the distribution of hair keratin family proteins varies in normal scalp hair follicles, which may aid in identifying the origin of hair neoplasms.
51 citations
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April 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Hair follicle stem cells rely on nearby blood vessels for their maintenance and function.
44 citations
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May 1997 in “Journal of Biological Chemistry” This study found that regulatory sequences crucial for inducing K6a expression in response to epidermal injury are located in specific upstream regions of the K6a gene in transgenic mice.
44 citations
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August 1990 in “PubMed” This study provides evidence for K1 and K10 derivatives' presence in the inner root sheath and hair cuticle, suggesting that these hair follicle parts may follow familiar keratinization principles.
43 citations
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August 1994 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”
May 2024 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” This study found that hair with lower levels of keratin associated proteins reduced the foreign body response in mouse subcutaneous implant tests compared to hair with higher keratin levels.
149 citations
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July 2000 in “Molecular and Cellular Biology” This study found that MK6a-deficient mice showed delayed reepithelialization after superficial wounding but not after full-thickness skin wounds, suggesting MK6a plays a role in activating follicular keratinocytes post-wounding.
33 citations
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April 2020 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation” This study found that hair follicle stem cells from hidradenitis suppurativa patients showed alterations in cell cycle regulation and DNA replication, potentially linking genetic predisposition to the skin inflammation characteristic of the disease.
2 citations
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April 2008 in “PubMed” This study identified the c.1204G to A (p.E402K) mutation in the hHB6 gene as a cause of monilethrix in a Chinese family, highlighting the gene's role in the condition.
April 2026 in “Research Square” October 2009 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” This study demonstrates that using a K15 promoter-driven GFP labeling technique allows for the identification and characterization of epithelial stem cells in adult human hair follicles.