Protein K17 Make Be Linked to Alopecia

From the Johns Hopkins Gazette:

A protein long thought to provide only mechanical support for keeping cells and tissues from literally falling apart turns out to have much wider utility. In a pair of reports, the protein K17 has been found to also influence wound healing and maintain the structural integrity of hair follicles, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

K17 belongs to a family of proteins known as keratin intermediate filaments, which are part of the cytoskeleton, an intricate network of flexible protein fibers that maintain cell shape and strength.

K17’s role in maintaining hair follicle strength is probably centered on its capacity to control the timing of follicle cell death during normal hair growth cycles. Hair follicle cells cycle continuously through three phases — growth, death and resting — during normal hair growth. According to the researchers, cells lacking K17 speed from growth to death faster than normal cells, preventing sufficient hair growth.