Study of hair growth mechanism through ABS transporter and adenosine

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We have reported the mechanism by which minoxidil, (MXD), an ATP dependent K channel opener, promotes hair growth. MXD up-regulates expression of VEGF mRNA in dermal papillae cells(DPCs) through adenosine(Ad) and its receptors(AdRs) pathway, and secreted VEGF finally stimulates hair growth. Ad plays various physiological functions such as cAMP regulation resulting in possible activation of DPCs. So we studied other biological function of Ad in DPCs using DNA microarray analysis which revealed pronounced up-regulation of FGF-7 mRNA expression in the DPCs treated with Ad. A quantitative analysis using real time RT-PC, specific antagonists to each AdRs, immunohistochemical methods, suggest that Ad stimulated FGF-7 mRNA expression via AdoR 2b in DPCs. FGF-7 expressed in DP cells and its receptor FGFr2 expressed in the entire follicular keratinocytes play a critical role in the control of hair growth^2. Taken all together, we concluded that Ad might activate hair growth by the stimulation of FGF-7 expression in DPCs. Based on these studies we have developed a new hair growth stimulating product which is now available to purchase[2].We also studied the difference in the gene expression profile of DPCs from the skin of androgenetic alopecia(AGA) and normal part using DNA microarray analysis. A marked difference was observed in the decreased gene expression of BMP2 and ephrin A3 among 1185 analyzed genes. In order to clarify the roles of BMP2 and ephrin A3 in the hair follicles, we examined the effect of BMP2 and ephrin A3 on the proliferation of hair follicle keratinocyte, and found that both BMP2 and ephrin A3 raised the proliferation rate of the outer root sheath cells (ORSCs). These results lead us to the hypothesis that both BMP2 and ephrin A3 function as hair growth promoting factors in the hair cycle[1].