Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Activates Melanocyte Stem Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

The study from 2016 explored how the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway affects melanocyte stem cells (McSCs). In vitro, using the iMC23 cell line, it was found that overexpression of Wnt3a and Wnt10b led to differentiation and melanogenesis by activating this pathway. In vivo experiments with Dct-LacZ transgenic mice showed that these Wnt proteins could induce hair follicle regeneration and activate McSCs. The most effective ligand for inducing melanocyte progenitor differentiation was Wnt3a, followed by Wnt10b and Wnt1. The in vivo results included that intradermal injection of AdWnt3a led to hair follicle regeneration in 67% of the mice (2 out of 3), with the new hair being black, indicating active melanogenesis. These findings highlight the potential of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in hair follicle regeneration and treatments for pigmentary disorders, although the exact number of samples used was not specified in the summary.