Vitamin A metabolism and hair growth: understanding why hair ages and how to protect it
Official title: Vitamin A metabolism in hair cycle regulation
Funded at Texas Woman's University · NIH-11292132 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist team is studying how vitamin A and its signals control hair growth and aging, with a focus on why hair thinning and skin cancer risk rise as we get older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Woman's University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Denton, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $475,063 |
| NIH project number | 1R15AR085911-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11292132 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with hair loss or aging-related hair changes, and people at risk for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, may benefit from future applications of these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People without hair concerns or skin cancer risk may not be directly affected by this basic science research.
What this research studies
This project examines how vitamin A pathways and sex hormones influence hair follicle stem cells in living models, aiming to understand why hair ages and why some people develop skin cancers like cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Researchers will look at how retinoids and retinoic acid affect stem cell quiescence and renewal, and how dietary vitamin A impacts these processes. The goal is to uncover mechanisms that could lead to better ways to protect hair health and skin from cancer, including how sex differences play a role. The study involves in vivo models that can be easily accessed, manipulated, and observed to map the interactions between vitamin A signaling and hair biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform new strategies to prevent hair aging and reduce skin cancer risk through targeting vitamin A pathways.
How similar studies have gone: There is existing evidence that retinoids influence hair biology and cancer risk, but sex-specific mechanisms are not fully understood, making this area promising but still exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas Woman's University
Denton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Everts, Helen B — Texas Woman's University
- Study coordinator: Everts, Helen B
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.