GPRC6A-Duox1 Axis Regulates the Hair Cycle Through H2O2 Generation

April 2026 in “ Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine ”

박꽃나라, A Cho, Jung Min Park, Mee Sook Jun, Eunbi Ko, Soon‐Sun Bak, Jung Min Suh, Kyoungmi Kim, Young Kwan Sung, Daekee Lee, Yun Soo Bae, Ji Won Oh

GPRC6A Duox1 hair cycle testosterone hydrogen peroxide H2O2 keratinocytes testosterone-mediated hair loss apoptosis anagen phase catagen phase Ki-67 testosterone-induced hair loss hair growth cycle hair loss hair growth hair thinning

TLDR The GPRC6A-Duox1 axis helps control hair growth and loss by affecting hydrogen peroxide production.

The study explores the GPRC6A-Duox1 axis's role in hair cycle regulation and testosterone-mediated hair loss. It reveals that GPRC6A and Duox1-deficient keratinocytes do not produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in response to testosterone, leading to suppressed testosterone-dependent apoptosis in knockout mice compared to wild-type mice. These knockout mice exhibited longer anagen phases and hair lengths, indicating that the GPRC6A-Duox1 axis facilitates the transition from anagen to catagen. The knockout mice also showed higher expression of Ki-67, a marker of the anagen phase, and were resistant to testosterone-induced hair loss. These findings highlight the axis's crucial role in natural hair cycles and suggest potential therapeutic targets for hair loss.

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