60 citations
,
August 2005 in “Endocrinology” This study suggests that αMSH may play a regulatory role in human dermal papilla cells, potentially influencing immune and inflammatory responses in hair follicles, which could contribute to inflammatory alopecia.
9 citations
,
November 2012 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” MC4R gene variants not linked to female hair loss.
70 citations
,
December 2004 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” This study found that BMP signaling influences hair pigmentation in mice by affecting the Agouti protein and interacts with MC-1R pathways to modulate melanin production.
April 2015 in “한국생물공학회 학술대회” Finasteride reduces melanin production in skin cells.
January 2009 in “The Chinese Journal of Dermatovenereology” The study found that Tribulus terrestris extract, when administered in varying doses to C57BL/6J mice, may significantly increase MC-1R expression in hair follicle melanocytes.
43 citations
,
May 1999 in “Journal of Biological Chemistry” This study found that full-length Agouti protein modulates melanocortin receptor signaling through a dual mechanism involving competitive antagonism and receptor down-regulation, whereas the carboxyl-terminal fragment acts solely as a competitive antagonist.
22 citations
,
June 2010 in “Experimental Dermatology” This study reported that patients with alopecia areata have reduced expression of the melanocortin receptor MC2R in their scalp tissues compared to normal scalp, indicating potential involvement in the condition's pathophysiology.
7 citations
,
October 2010 in “Medical Hypotheses” Alopecia areata may involve stress-related changes affecting hormone receptors, leading to reduced cortisol production.
1 citations
,
January 2005 in “Experimental Dermatology” This study found that α-MSH may suppress IFN-γ-driven upregulation of ICAM-1 in human dermal fibroblasts, suggesting potential roles for melanocortins in inflammatory skin disorders beyond collagen synthesis effects.
1 citations
,
September 2004 in “Experimental Dermatology” This study found that α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone may modulate inflammation in skin connective tissue by inhibiting proinflammatory effects in fibroblasts.
32 citations
,
October 2004 in “Experimental Dermatology” This study found that α-MSH acts as a modulator of inflammatory and fibrogenic responses in human fibroblastic skin cells, indicating potential therapeutic options for fibrotic skin disorders and inflammatory diseases of the hair follicle.
January 2013 in “International journal of trichology” Vitamin D3 and its receptor are important for hair growth, and understanding receptors could help treat hair graying and skin cancer.
59 citations
,
April 2016 in “Cell Reports” This study demonstrated that EdnrB signaling promotes melanocyte stem cell proliferation and differentiation, enhancing hair and epidermal melanocyte regeneration, especially under conditions of active Wnt signaling.
10 citations
,
November 2009 in “Pigment cell & melanoma research” This study by Pérez-Oliva et al. explored how Mahogunin Ring Finger-1 (MGRN1) affects melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) signaling, suggesting that MGRN1 competitively inhibits Gαs binding to MC1R, influencing pigment production.
June 2025 in “Albus Scientia” This review discusses the role of the MC1R gene in human pigmentation and its genetic variants, reporting no new results; the authors highlight its forensic applications for phenotypic prediction.
24 citations
,
January 2023 in “Cancer Research” This study suggests that activating AMPK to phosphorylate ZDHHC13 may enhance MC1R function and reduce melanoma risk in individuals with red hair.
5 citations
,
February 2012 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” This case report documents two instances of red-haired men with patch-type alopecia areata, where hair regrowth occurred in black rather than red, an unusual phenomenon potentially linked to pigmentation and receptor pathways.
1 citations
,
January 2014 in “Elsevier eBooks” This review discusses melanocytes' role in pigmentation, their clinical significance in conditions like vitiligo and hair graying, and highlights current research on hair follicle regeneration without reporting new clinical results.
1 citations
,
January 2012 in “Human health handbooks” This review discusses the factors influencing human hair color, including genetic components like the MC1R gene and enzyme activity, without presenting new experimental results.
January 2026 in “Aging and Disease” This study found that, despite confirming MC1R expression and functional cAMP signalling, α-MSH treatment did not alleviate UVA-induced stress in adult dermal fibroblasts, suggesting that α-MSH-MC1R may not directly protect against UVA-induced photoaging in these cells.
January 2016 in “UNESP Institutional Repository (São Paulo State University)” This study suggests that the phenotype of melasma in women is influenced by structural and cellular changes across the epidermal-melanin unit, not just melanocyte hypertrophy, highlighting potential roles for dermal damage repair and fibroblast senescence.
This review discusses the factors influencing human hair color, including genetic components and enzymatic activity, and highlights the forensic significance of hair color analysis, but reports no new findings.
November 2011 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” TRH in hair follicles can influence hair color by increasing melanin.
135 citations
,
March 2000 in “Journal of Biological Chemistry” This review discusses the roles of the Agouti and Agouti-related proteins in pigmentation and energy regulation and reports no new experimental findings.
58 citations
,
March 2011 in “Pflügers Archiv für die gesamte Physiologie des Menschen und der Tiere/Pflügers Archiv” Hormones and signaling pathways control sebaceous gland function and could help treat acne.
12 citations
,
September 2018 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” This study demonstrated that the biomimetic peptide PTP20 may help preserve hair pigmentation and reduce greying by enhancing melanocyte function and increasing melanin production in human hair follicles.
2 citations
,
May 2019 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” This study suggests that in gp91phox-knockout mice, tranexamic acid administration led to brown hair by increasing MGRN1 and collagen XVII levels, while the retention of black hair appears to rely on the gp91phox/ROS/IL-1β/TGF-β pathway.
1 citations
,
July 2014 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This review discusses various topics from the 62nd Annual Montagna Symposium on the Biology of Skin, focusing on the diverse effects of light on skin biology, and reports no new clinical results.
November 2025 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Alpha-MSH affects mitochondrial function, and MC1R mutations may increase skin aging.
April 2020 in “Online journal of complementary & alternative medicine” This article discusses the FDA approval of bremelanotide for premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder and reports no clinical results.