# Exploring hair follicle-associated functions in normal and ichthyotic skin

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $390,261

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract
Our skin is a multi-layered structure that acts as a protective barrier against the environment. Barrier function
is typically associated with the surface of the skin; however, it is currently unclear whether the hair follicle also
forms a barrier. Here, we have generated mice that enable spatially and temporally restricted deletion of the
lipid transporter ABCA12, which is mutated in patients with harlequin ichthyosis (HI), the most severe skin
barrier disease. We will utilize these mice as tools to study the contributions of the hair follicle to skin
homeostasis, while examining how hair follicle-related processes are perturbed in HI. We hypothesize that the
hair follicle may affect both normal and ichthyotic skin in the following 4 ways: 1) The upper hair follicle may
directly provide barrier function. 2) The hair follicle may influence the behavior of the adjacent epidermis non-
cell autonomously. 3) The upper hair follicle is likely a site of rapid desquamation that allows for the release of
sebum. 4) The upper hair follicle may assume a wound-like state and contribute cells to the epidermis upon
barrier disruption. Altogether, these studies will contribute fundamental knowledge to our understanding of the
upper hair follicle domain, a poorly studied region of the skin that is perturbed in diseases such as acne,
hidradenitis suppurativa and keratosis pilaris. At the same time, this work will also consider HI from a novel
angle, with a focus on the hair follicle. Finally, our studies will characterize a viable, immunocompetent mouse
model of HI to explore novel therapies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10794990
- **Project number:** 5R01AR080654-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Sunny Y Wong
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $390,261
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-06-01 → 2027-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10794990

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10794990, Exploring hair follicle-associated functions in normal and ichthyotic skin (5R01AR080654-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10794990. Licensed CC0.

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