Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Operates as a Negative Regulator of Human Hair Follicle Pigmentation Ex Vivo

September 2024 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”

T. Gomez-Gomez, Jérémy Chéret, Barbara Bedogni, Ramtin Kassir, Marta Bertolini, Ralf Paus

vasoactive intestinal peptide VIP melanin tyrosinase melanogenesis dopachrome tautomerase melanocytes apoptosis VIP receptor antagonists

TLDR VIP reduces hair pigmentation by decreasing melanin production.

This pilot study explores the role of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) as a negative regulator of human hair follicle pigmentation using ex vivo assays with scalp hair follicles from 4 male donors. The study found that VIP significantly reduces melanin production and tyrosinase activity, indicating an inhibition of melanogenesis at the post-dopachrome tautomerase level. Additionally, higher concentrations of VIP decreased the number of differentiated melanocytes without affecting apoptosis, suggesting an inhibition of melanocyte differentiation rather than survival. These findings imply that VIP may play a role in stress-induced hair graying and other depigmentation disorders, warranting further research in larger cohorts and potential therapeutic applications of VIP receptor antagonists.

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Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Operates as a Negative Regulator of Human Hair Follicle Pigmentation Ex Vivo

Research cited in this study

research Human Hair Graying Revisited: Principles, Misconceptions, And Key Research Frontiers

research Human Hair Follicles Operate a Functional Peripheral Equivalent of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Somatotropic Axis Ex Vivo

research Revisiting the Role of Melatonin in Human Melanocyte Physiology: A Skin Context Perspective

research Resident Human Dermal Gamma Delta T-Cells Operate as Stress Sentinels: Lessons from the Hair Follicle

research Hyperactivation of Sympathetic Nerves Drives Depletion of Melanocyte Stem Cells

research Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, Whose Receptor-Mediated Signaling May Be Defective in Alopecia Areata, Provides Protection from Hair Follicle Immune Privilege Collapse

research When The Circadian Clock Meets The Melanin Pigmentary System

research The Peripheral Clock Regulates Human Pigmentation

research Neuroendocrinology of the Hair Follicle: Principles and Clinical Perspectives

research Topobiology of Human Pigmentation: P-Cadherin Selectively Stimulates Hair Follicle Melanogenesis

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