The team examined the functions of Wnt proteins, which are small molecular messengers that convey information between cells and activate signaling via the intracellular molecule β-catenin. By disrupting Wnt signaling in an animal model with an inhibitor Dkk1, the team found that hair growth was prevented. However, stem cells were still maintained within the dormant hair follicles. When Dkk1 was removed, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway resumed normal function, the stem cells were activated, and hair growth was restored.

The team also unexpectedly found that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is normally active in non-hairy regions, such as on the palms of hands, soles of feet and the tongue, as well as between hair follicles on the surface of the skin. This finding is consistent with previous results showing that removing β-catenin prevents growth of skin tumors.

"While more research is needed to improve our understanding of this pathway, our results suggest that therapeutics capable of decreasing levels of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the skin could potentially be used to block growth of unwanted hair, and/or to treat certain skin tumors. Conversely, if delivered in a limited, safe and controlled way, agents that activate Wnt signaling might be used to promote hair growth in dormant hair follicles in conditions such as male pattern baldness," said senior author Sarah Millar, PhD, professor in the departments of Dermatology and of Cell and Developmental Biology.

Researchers aim to better understand the key components and functions of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Important areas of focus for future work will include developing effective means of safely targeting therapeutics to the skin for clinical and cosmetic applications.

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Materials provided by Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

1. Yeon Sook Choi, Yuhang Zhang, Mingang Xu, Yongguang Yang, Mayumi Ito, Tien Peng, Zheng Cui, Andras Nagy, Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis, Richard A. Lang, George Cotsarelis, Thomas Andl, Edward E. Morrisey, Sarah E. Millar. Distinct Functions for Wnt/β-Catenin in Hair Follicle Stem Cell Proliferation and Survival and Interfollicular Epidermal Homeostasis. Cell Stem Cell, 2013; 13 (6): 720 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.10.003