论文标题：Olfactory receptor OR2AT4 regulates human hair growth

期刊：Nature Communications

作者：Jérémy Chéret, Marta Bertolini, Leslie Ponce, Janin Lehmann, Teresa Tsai, Majid Alam, Hanns Hatt & Ralf Paus

发表时间：2018/09/18

数字识别码：10.1038/s41467-018-05973-0

原文链接：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05973-0?utm_source=Other_website&utm_medium=Website_links&utm_content=RenLi-MixedBrand-multijournal-Multidisciplinary-China&utm_campaign=ORG_USG_JRCN_RL_article_promotion_sciencenet_Sep_4th

微信链接：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SPKPiNCMuRH8p5GTthpF1w

根据《自然-通讯》发表的一项研究Olfactory receptor OR2AT4 regulates human hair growth，在人类头皮组织实验中，人工合成檀香气味剂可以刺激头发生长。

图1：檀香气味和人毛囊上皮细胞中的内源性配体激活嗅觉受体OR2AT4的作用机制。图源：Chéret 等

当气味分子被鼻子中的特化细胞表面的受体识别时，就会刺激嗅觉。但是，体内的其它细胞也表达嗅觉受体，而嗅觉受体还调节嗅觉以外的细胞功能。

英国曼彻斯特大学的Ralf Paus及其同事发现，毛囊上皮细胞，特别是外根鞘，表达嗅觉受体OR2AT4。作者证明，在人类头皮外植体上应用人造檀香气味剂可以减少毛囊角质形成细胞的死亡，增加外根鞘中蛋白质胰岛素样生长因子1的产生，从而刺激头发生长。

图2：在人头皮表皮和毛囊中的OR2AT4 mRNA和蛋白表达。图源：Chéret 等

作者认为，嗅觉受体或许可以作为脱发疗法的靶标。

摘要：Olfactory receptors are expressed by different cell types throughout the body and regulate physiological cell functions beyond olfaction. In particular, the olfactory receptor OR2AT4 has been shown to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation in the skin. Here, we show that the epithelium of human hair follicles, particularly the outer root sheath, expresses OR2AT4, and that specific stimulation of OR2AT4 by a synthetic sandalwood odorant (Sandalore®) prolongs human hair growth ex vivo by decreasing apoptosis and increasing production of the anagen-prolonging growth factor IGF-1. In contrast, co-administration of the specific OR2AT4 antagonist Phenirat® and silencing of OR2AT4 inhibit hair growth. Together, our study identifies that human hair follicles can engage in olfactory receptor-dependent chemosensation and require OR2AT4-mediated signaling to sustain their growth, suggesting that olfactory receptors may serve as a target in hair loss therapy.

阅读论文全文请访问：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05973-0?utm_source=Other_website&utm_medium=Website_links&utm_content=RenLi-MixedBrand-multijournal-Multidisciplinary-China&utm_campaign=ORG_USG_JRCN_RL_article_promotion_sciencenet_Sep_4th

期刊介绍：Nature Communications (https://www.nature.com/ncomms/) is an open access journal that publishes high-quality research from all areas of the natural sciences. Papers published by the journal represent important advances of significance to specialists within each field.

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（来源：科学网）