The KRTAP36-2 gene in sheep affects wool yield.
Hair can't be as strong as Rapunzel's because it's impractical to scale up due to defects.
426 citations
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August 2014 in “Nature Medicine” Skin stem cells interacting with their environment is crucial for maintaining and regenerating skin and hair, and understanding this can help develop new treatments for skin and hair disorders.
97 citations
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May 2019 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology” Abnormal ECM and immune cell interactions can cause skin diseases.
29 citations
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September 2017 in “Genes” Selecting specific KRTAP26-1 gene variants can improve wool quality in sheep.
29 citations
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December 2004 in “Developmental biology” cDermo-1 causes dense skin, feathers, and scales in chickens.
25 citations
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April 2019 in “Animals” KRTAP28-1 gene can help breed sheep with finer wool.
25 citations
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October 2007 in “Developmental biology” Clim proteins are essential for maintaining healthy corneas and hair follicles.
21 citations
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June 2023 in “Journal of Nanobiotechnology” Engineered extracellular vesicles could improve CRISPR/Cas delivery, making gene editing safer and more effective.
20 citations
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December 1999 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Mutations in the hHb6 gene cause the hair disorder monilethrix.
8 citations
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September 2024 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” Polymers can be designed to mimic natural cell environments for medical uses.
8 citations
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May 2020 in “International journal of biological macromolecules” Certain treatments can increase protein binding to natural hair but are less effective on permed hair.
3 citations
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July 2025 in “Gels” Engineered protein hydrogels improve medical treatments by mimicking natural body structures.
3 citations
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May 2024 in “Biomimetics” Bioactive biopolymers can improve diabetic wound healing by enhancing tissue regeneration.
March 2026 in “Pharmaceutics” TheDES improve drug delivery through the skin but need more safety checks.
March 2026 in “Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials/Journal of mechanical behavior of biomedical materials” Hair cuticles remain stable and resilient under stress due to strong protein content and crosslinking.
December 2025 in “Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry” Pepsin digestion improves accuracy in analyzing proteins in human hair.
November 2025 in “Scientific Reports” COVID-19 may cause hair loss by affecting hair follicles.
January 2025 in “Kuwait Journal of Science” KRT71 gene variants may influence camel hair shape but don't fully explain it.
5 citations
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January 2021 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology” Inhibiting Zyxin may help treat androgenetic alopecia by promoting hair growth.
86 citations
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May 2002 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” A new keratin, hK6irs1, is found in all layers of the hair follicle's inner root sheath.
85 citations
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31 citations
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August 2021 in “Stem Cell Research & Therapy” The conclusion is that understanding how hair follicle stem cells live or die is important for maintaining healthy tissue and repairing injuries, and could help treat hair loss, but there are still challenges to overcome.
18 citations
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November 2016 in “Transgenic research” Overexpressing Tβ4 in cashmere goats improves hair fiber traits and increases cashmere yield.
16 citations
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April 2021 in “Biomedicines” Ferulic acid helps wounds heal faster by reducing inflammation and promoting skin cell movement.
15 citations
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June 2015 in “PLoS ONE” Thymosin beta-4 promotes hair growth in mice.
December 2025 in “eScience” A wireless, battery-free system uses Wi-Fi signals to enhance wound healing and enable smart healthcare at home.
September 2025 in “PubMed” Mechanical stimulation and new therapies show promise for hair regrowth.
August 2025 in “Biomedicines” Half-siblings with a rare skin condition improved with treatment for a fungal infection, but hair loss remained.
January 2025 in “Frontiers in Medicine” Hair follicles are key to treating vitiligo and alopecia areata, but challenges exist.