TGFα is required for hair follicle function during aging and its loss leads to progressive alopecia.

Jackelyn R Raymundo, Jasson Makkar, Michael G Fasci, Ryan R Driskell, Alexander G Marneros

Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA.Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

The contributions of specific growth factors (GFs) to hair follicle maintenance during aging remain poorly understood. The GF TGFα affects postnatal hair morphogenesis, and its loss leads to wavy hairs in young mice. Whether TGFα is required for proper hair follicle function during aging has not been explored. In this study, we find that loss of TGFα results in severe progressive alopecia, leading to an almost complete absence of back hairs in aged mice. Deep hair phenomics shows that the progressive hair loss is associated with a switch of hair-type proportions toward zigzag hairs, increased hair waviness, decreased hair length, and increased trichoptilosis with multiple hair breakage points. Hair loss is associated with a progressive dilatation of the upper hair follicle, which showed keratinocyte differentiation abnormalities. Metabolomic analyses of epidermal sheets identified diminished levels of prostaglandin H2 in Tgfa

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Research summary

The paper claims that the loss of TGFα leads to severe progressive alopecia in aged mice. This research is relevant as it explores the role of a specific growth factor in hair follicle function during aging, contributing to our understanding of age-related changes in skin and hair biology.

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