Androgen modulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in androgenetic alopecia

• Published in: Archives of Dermatological Research Vol. 310; no. 5; pp. 391 - 399
• Main Authors: Premanand, A., Reena Rajkumari, B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.07.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alopecia; Alopecia - metabolism; Androgen receptors; Androgens; Androgens - metabolism; Animals; Baldness; beta Catenin - metabolism; Dermatology; Dermis - metabolism; Dihydrotestosterone; Follicles; Hair; Hair - metabolism; Hair - pathology; Hair loss; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Polygenic inheritance; Receptors, Androgen - metabolism; Review; Scalp; Signal Transduction; Skin; Transcriptional Activation; Wnt protein; Wnt Proteins - metabolism; β-Catenin; β-catenin; Dihydrotestosterone; Androgen; Dermal papilla; Androgen receptor; Wnt; Androgenetic alopecia
• ISSN: 0340-3696; 1432-069X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00403-018-1826-8

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a dermatological disorder of scalp hair loss characterized by a progressive miniaturization of hair follicles with shortened anagen phase leading to a decreased number of hairs on the scalp. It is a complex polygenic trait prevailing around two-thirds of the male population. Elevated expressions of 5α-dihydrotestosterone and androgen receptor are the causal factors for AGA. This review describes recent studies on the role of androgens and androgen receptor (AR) transactivation activity in modulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the dermal papilla cells of the balding scalp in androgenetic alopecia. Here, we analyse the androgen-induced dermal papilla secreted factors on stimulating catagen entry in hair follicles and the molecular cross-talk between AR and Wnt/β-catenin signaling with a brief mention on alternative treatment strategy targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling for promoting hair growth.