Restoration of Hair Luster via Novel Biomarker COL7A1 by Minoxidil, Caffeine, and Biotin
2025
Ngoc Ha Nguyen | Young In Lee | Hyeon-Ah Do | Inhee Jung | Jae Hyun Park | Sung Jun Lee | Ju Hee Lee
Hair luster, a key component of visual hair quality, depends largely on the integrity of the cuticle. While cosmetic products offer temporarily enhanced luster, their effects are limited due to a poor understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, we employed a UVB-induced mouse model of hair luster loss to identify differentially expressed genes via quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR. Key candidate genes were subsequently validated in vitro using human hair follicle dermal papilla cells and in ex vivo human scalp hair follicle tissue models. Subsequently, we evaluated the effects of minoxidil, caffeine, and biotin on gene expression and luster restoration. UVB exposure suppressed several luster-related genes, with <i>COL7A1</i> consistently downregulated across all models. Treatment with minoxidil, caffeine, and biotin restored the expression of <i>COL7A1</i> along with <i>KRTAP5-5</i>, <i>KRTAP5-4</i>, <i>TGM3</i>, and <i>PTK7</i>. These findings highlight <i>COL7A1</i> as a novel molecular marker for hair luster and support its modulation as a potential therapeutic strategy.
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