May 2022 in “Research Square (Research Square)” Nestin marks cells that can become a specific type of skin cell in hair follicles of both developing and adult mice.
March 2021 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” Removing a specific gene in certain skin cells causes hair loss on the body by disrupting normal hair development.
May 2020 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” The study found that certain genes are important for hedgehog skin appendage development and immunity, with spines possibly evolving for protection and infection resistance.
April 2018 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” A gene variant causes patched hair loss in mice, similar to alopecia areata in humans.
January 2014 in “Sen'i Gakkaishi” Researchers developed a method to identify animal fibers in textiles, which works on processed and blended materials.
October 1990 in “Spectrum Research Repository (Concordia University)”
June 2026 in “Communications Biology” Hoxc13 and hair keratin are needed for forming rough skin on frog mating pads.
December 2023 in “Royal Society of Chemistry eBooks” Nails are a useful alternative to hair for analyzing long-term substance exposure.
May 2010 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” A mutation in the KRT74 gene causes woolly hair by affecting hair texture.
May 2010 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” A mutation in the KRT74 gene causes woolly hair by affecting hair texture.
96 citations
,
June 2017 in “Nature Communications” A WNT10A gene mutation leads to ectodermal dysplasia by disrupting cell growth and differentiation.
69 citations
,
January 2015 in “Cell & tissue research/Cell and tissue research” Keratin mutations cause skin diseases and could lead to new treatments.
25 citations
,
August 2017 in “Frontiers in Zoology” Marine mammals lost many α-keratin genes, aiding their adaptation to aquatic life by becoming hairless.
9 citations
,
July 2008 in “Oncology Reports” HPV16-transformed cells can change human skin cell properties, aiding tumor growth.
30 citations
,
March 2017 in “ACS biomaterials science & engineering” Hair follicles are valuable for regenerative medicine and wound healing.
9 citations
,
September 2019 in “PLoS ONE” K42 and K124 keratins are only found in horse hoof lamellae.
June 2025 in “Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine” Keratin biomaterials could help heal wounds and regenerate tissue, but more testing is needed.
January 2024 in “Molecules (Basel. Online)” Juglone from walnut extracts may help repair damaged hair.
75 citations
,
September 2015 in “Acta biomaterialia” Alkylation of human hair keratin allows for adjustable drug release rates in hydrogels for medical use.
17 citations
,
January 2016 in “Journal of Drug Delivery” PEG and keratin scaffolds can effectively deliver protein drugs by controlling release based on pH levels.
309 citations
,
October 2007 in “Biomaterials” Keratin from human hair helps nerves heal faster.
272 citations
,
September 2001 in “Journal of Biological Chemistry” Human hair keratins were cataloged, showing their roles in hair differentiation stages.
263 citations
,
February 2011 in “Journal of Controlled Release” Medium-sized particles penetrate hair follicles better than smaller or larger ones, which could improve delivery of skin treatments.
186 citations
,
December 2012 in “Current opinion in cell biology” Keratin proteins are increasingly recognized as important for cell health and are linked to many diseases.
143 citations
,
January 2012 in “Cell and Tissue Research”
140 citations
,
April 2004 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” The enzyme 25 Hydroxyvitamin D 1 α-Hydroxylase is essential for healthy skin and recovery after skin damage.
119 citations
,
September 2000 in “Journal of Biological Chemistry” GKLF/KLF4 and Sp1 control Keratin 19 gene activity, influencing cancer-related changes.
118 citations
,
January 2013 in “Biomaterials” Keratin from human hair shows promise for medical uses like wound healing and tissue engineering.
105 citations
,
May 2013 in “Biomaterials” Human hair keratin hydrogel may aid nerve repair better than traditional methods.
98 citations
,
December 2015 in “The Journal of Cell Biology” Keratin is crucial for skin barrier formation and affects mitochondrial function.