January 2026 in “Scientific Reports” In this study, researchers identified 19 genetic risk loci and highlighted 16 candidate causal genes, including immune-related ones, associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, emphasizing the role of specific immune cells like T cells and NK cells in its pathogenesis.
December 2025 in “Nature Communications” This study demonstrated that skin organoids derived from human stem cells can model cutaneous tuberculosis, revealing that fibrosis development in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected organoids is linked to the PI3K-AKT and AP1 pathways in fibroblasts, and suggesting the potential for antifibrotic treatment evaluation.
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.
September 2023 in “Nature communications” This study found that VE-cadherin and Alk1, traditionally linked to vascular functions, also play crucial roles in maintaining nerve homeostasis in mice during hair growth cycles by modulating certain cell populations.
466 citations
,
August 2004 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” This article reviews the current literature on rosacea, focusing on the new subtype classification system and the main theories of its pathogenesis, but reports no new clinical results.
363 citations
,
March 2017 in “Nature Communications” This study found that, in mouse tail epidermis, stem cells rapidly activate and regenerate new progenitors to repair wounds, with mechanisms affecting their proliferation, differentiation, and migration.
301 citations
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February 2019 in “Nature Communications” In this study, researchers found that wound healing in mouse skin recruits diverse fibroblasts, including myeloid-derived cells, which contribute to regenerating adipocytes.
270 citations
,
March 2012 in “Dermatologic Surgery” This study found that autologous platelet-rich plasma increased hair growth potential by enhancing dermal papilla cell proliferation and stimulating key signaling pathways in both cell cultures and mice models.
260 citations
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June 2011 in “Cell” This study found that Wnt signaling in the hair follicle is crucial for coordinating the behavior of epithelial and melanocyte stem cells, which drives hair regeneration and melanocyte differentiation in mice.
252 citations
,
April 2009 in “Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology” This review discusses the complex role of the immune system in tissue repair and regeneration, highlighting its positive and negative influences but reports no new clinical findings.
242 citations
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February 2016 in “Science” This research found that Foxc1 transcription factor and COL17A1 are critical in regulating quiescence and hair thinning in hair follicle stem cells, with aging-related DNA damage leading to hair loss.
218 citations
,
October 2013 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America” This study found that removing PPARγ specifically from mouse adipose tissue led to severe fat loss, insulin resistance, diabetes, and associated metabolic abnormalities.
215 citations
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March 2018 in “Archives of Toxicology” This study found that PM2.5 exposure induced oxidative stress in human keratinocytes and mouse skin, causing cellular damage, which was mitigated by the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine.
176 citations
,
August 2015 in “The journal of allergy and clinical immunology/Journal of allergy and clinical immunology/The journal of allergy and clinical immunology” This study identified a distinct cytokine activation signature in alopecia areata, involving TH2, TH1, IL-23, and IL-9/TH9 pathways, suggesting potential targeting strategies similar to those in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
175 citations
,
December 2014 in “PLoS Biology” This study found that macrophages near hair follicles contribute to the activation of skin epithelial stem cells in mice, suggesting a novel role for macrophages in regulating hair growth.
174 citations
,
November 2016 in “Cell stem cell” This study found that squamous cell carcinomas from hair follicle stem cells are more prone to epithelial to mesenchymal transition and metastasis than those from interfollicular epidermis, due to distinct chromatin landscapes.
173 citations
,
January 2014 in “Nature Cell Biology” This study found that Wnt signalling activates hair follicle fate in hair follicle stem cells by relieving TCF3/4–TLE-mediated repression, with β-catenin being crucial for this process.
170 citations
,
July 2012 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” In this study, researchers showed that Wnt ligands secreted by hair follicle epithelium are crucial for hair follicle regeneration and may be significant for treating hair disorders like alopecia.
165 citations
,
June 2007 in “European Journal of Cell Biology” This review discusses the various stem cell populations associated with hair follicles and their potential in regenerative medicine, highlighting differences between murine and human hair follicles but reports no new clinical results.
163 citations
,
March 2012 in “BMC biology” This forum article in BMC Biology discusses evolving views on the concept of the stem cell niche, highlighting varied mechanisms and the need for better understanding of the niche's roles and functions.
159 citations
,
October 2015 in “Science Advances” This study observed that applying JAK-STAT pathway inhibitors to mouse and human skin led to rapid hair growth by inducing the anagen phase of hair follicles.
156 citations
,
August 2016 in “Journal of controlled release” This review summarizes current knowledge on tight junctions in mammalian skin and their role in drug delivery and interaction with other barrier components, but reports no new experimental results.
150 citations
,
October 2010 in “The American Journal of Pathology” This review discusses the pathogenesis and challenges in treating primary cicatricial alopecia, highlighting the need to understand immune protection collapse in hair follicle stem cells; it reports no new clinical results.
148 citations
,
December 2018 in “Journal of autoimmunity” This review discusses genetic and environmental factors contributing to autoimmunity in alopecia areata and reports no new clinical findings, emphasizing the need for further study on its aetiology and pathophysiology.
147 citations
,
November 2020 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” This review discusses the immune roles of keratinocytes in wound healing and chronic wound inflammation, emphasizing their potential impact on chronic wound pathology and highlighting areas for future research.
144 citations
,
November 2020 in “Frontiers in immunology” This study summarizes how the IL-23/IL-17 axis contributes to inflammatory skin diseases like psoriasis and highlights that biologics targeting this pathway, including monoclonal antibodies against IL-23 and IL-17, have shown efficacy in clinical trials for these conditions.
140 citations
,
January 2009 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This review discusses the application of liposomes in dermatology, highlighting their therapeutic value for drug stabilization, skin penetration enhancement, and treatment of hair follicle-associated disorders, but reports no new clinical results.
133 citations
,
February 2019 in “PLoS Biology” This research found that feather pattern formation in birds is regulated by a mechanochemical system involving fibroblast growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein signaling, which is altered in the flightless emu and ostrich.
133 citations
,
May 2016 in “Cell Host & Microbe” In this study, human dermal fibroblasts were identified as natural host cells that support productive Merkel cell polyomavirus infection, and the MEK antagonist trametinib was introduced as an effective inhibitor to control the virus.
127 citations
,
March 2016 in “PLoS ONE” This study found that transcriptome profiling of cashmere goat skin revealed key genes and pathways involved in hair follicle initiation, differentiation, and maturation, which are critical for improving fleece production.