Background: Segmental vitiligo is a small subset albeit persistent form of focal vitiligo with dermatomal distribution and resistant to medical therapy. In recent years, surgical therapy as hair follicle autograft transplantation has been a hot topic in management of segmental vitiligo. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of this method in segmental vitiligo lesions. Methods: Th...

The understanding of the anatomy and development of fetal and adult hair follicles and the molecular study of the major embryonic pathways that regulate the hair follicle have led to exciting discoveries concerning the development of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). These studies have shed light on the major roles of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling and its interactions with the insulin-like growth fa...

Sir, The term “scarring alopecia” implies the potential of permanent destruction of hair follicle. Scarring alopecia occurs in otherwise healthy men and women of all ages and is seen worldwide.[1,2] Most likely it is caused as a result of irreversible damage to the epithelial hair follicle stem cells in the region of bulge. [3,4] It consists of diverse group of rare disorders that destroy the h...

In mouse hairy skin, lanceolate complexes associated with three types of hair follicles, guard, awl/auchene and zigzag, serve as mechanosensory end organs. These structures are formed by unique combinations of low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs), Aβ RA-LTMRs, Aδ-LTMRs, and C-LTMRs, and their associated terminal Schwann cells (TSCs). In this study, we investigated the organization, ultrastruc...

The embryonic mammary gland and hair follicle are both derived from the ventral ectoderm, and their development depends on a number of common fundamental developmental pathways. While the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is required for hair follicle morphogenesis, the role of this pathway during embryonic mammary gland development remains undetermined. We demonstrate here that, unlike the hair ...

The three mammalian Runx transcription factors, some of which are known to be involved in human genetic diseases and cancer, are pivotal players in embryo development and function as key regulators of cell fate determination and organogenesis. Here, we report the expression of Runx1 during the development of hair and other skin appendages in the mouse and describe the effect of Runx1 on the str...