TY - JOUR
T1 - Scarring alopecia and the PPAR-γ connection
AU - Harries, Matthew J.
AU - Paus, Ralf
N1 - Funding Information:
The writing of this commentary was made possible in part by the Geoffrey-Dowling Fellowship from the British Association of Dermatologists to MJH, a grant from the University of Lübeck Research Focus Programme on Autoimmunity to RP, and research grants from the Cicatricial Alopecia Research Foundation and British Skin Foundation to MJH and RP.
PY - 2009/5
Y1 - 2009/5
N2 - The pathobiology of primary cicatricial ("scarring") alopecia (PCA) remains poorly understood and underinvestigated. In this issue, Karnik et al. identify a previously unsuspected player, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), in the pathogenesis of the most frequent form of PCA, lichen planopilaris (LPP). The authors show that PPARγ is required for maintenance of a functional epithelial stem cell compartment in murine hair follicles, that the targeted deletion of PPARγ in the bulge/isthmus area of the hair follicle epithelium generates a skin pathology that resembles LPP, and that LPP patients show gene expression changes that indicate a defect in lipid metabolism and peroxisome biogenesis. This study invites the revisitation of many open questions in PCA pathobiology and the exploration of new avenues for future PCA management.
AB - The pathobiology of primary cicatricial ("scarring") alopecia (PCA) remains poorly understood and underinvestigated. In this issue, Karnik et al. identify a previously unsuspected player, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), in the pathogenesis of the most frequent form of PCA, lichen planopilaris (LPP). The authors show that PPARγ is required for maintenance of a functional epithelial stem cell compartment in murine hair follicles, that the targeted deletion of PPARγ in the bulge/isthmus area of the hair follicle epithelium generates a skin pathology that resembles LPP, and that LPP patients show gene expression changes that indicate a defect in lipid metabolism and peroxisome biogenesis. This study invites the revisitation of many open questions in PCA pathobiology and the exploration of new avenues for future PCA management.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=65249089691&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=65249089691&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/jid.2008.425
DO - 10.1038/jid.2008.425
M3 - Comment/debate
C2 - 19369934
AN - SCOPUS:65249089691
VL - 129
SP - 1066
EP - 1070
JO - Journal of Investigative Dermatology
JF - Journal of Investigative Dermatology
SN - 0022-202X
IS - 5
ER -