Abstract
Inflammation-associated, irreversible damage to epithelial stem cells (eSCs) of the hair follicle in their immunologically privileged niche lies at the heart of scarring alopecia, which causes permanent difficult-to-treat hair loss. We propose that the two most common and closely related forms, lichen planopilaris (LPP) and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA), provide excellent model diseases for studying the biology and pathology of adult human eSCs in an easily accessible human mini-organ. Emphasising the critical roles for interferon (IFN)-γ and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ-mediated signalling in immune privilege (IP) collapse and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of these eSCs respectively, we argue that these pathways deserve therapeutic targeting in the future management of LPP/FFA and other eSC diseases associated with IP collapse and EMT.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 435-448 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Trends in molecular medicine |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 13 Apr 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2018 |
Keywords
- epithelial–mesenchymal transition
- hair follicle
- immune privilege
- interferon-γ
- peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ
- stem cells
Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms
- Lydia Becker Institute