How hair follicles help protect healthy skin and skin affected by ichthyosis
Exploring hair follicle-associated functions in normal and ichthyotic skin
Researchers are using specially engineered mice to learn how hair follicles protect healthy skin and skin affected by harlequin ichthyosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11307603 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
For people with ichthyosis, the team uses mice that let them turn off the ABCA12 gene (the gene mutated in harlequin ichthyosis) in specific parts of the hair follicle at chosen times to mimic disease conditions. They will watch whether the upper hair follicle acts as a barrier, how it releases oils, how it influences nearby skin cells, and whether follicle cells move to the surface to help repair the skin. The work compares normal and ichthyotic skin and connects findings to other follicle-related problems like acne and keratosis pilaris. Overall, the project aims to explain how hair follicles keep skin healthy and what goes wrong in severe barrier diseases.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future participation would include people with harlequin ichthyosis or other follicle-related skin disorders who can donate skin samples or join follow-up clinical studies.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate new treatments should not expect direct benefit now, since this project is laboratory research in mice rather than a human therapy trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to new targets in hair follicles for treating ichthyosis and other follicle-related skin conditions such as acne.
How similar studies have performed: Related ABCA12 mouse models have helped researchers understand ichthyosis, but using spatially and temporally controlled deletion in hair follicles is a newer approach that explores previously under-studied follicle functions.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wong, Sunny Y — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Wong, Sunny Y
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.