Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41751811›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2026

The Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Dermal Papilla Cells Regulates Hair Growth.

Gary K W Yuen, K W Leung, Queenie W S Lai, Maggie S S Guo, Alex X Gao, Janet Y M Ho, Harry C T Chu, Karl W K Tsim

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Gary K W YuenDivision of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
K W LeungDivision of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-6137-3877
Queenie W S LaiDivision of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Maggie S S GuoDivision of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Alex X GaoDivision of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Janet Y M HoDivision of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Harry C T ChuDivision of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
Karl W K TsimDivision of Life Science, Centre for Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4808-1674

Funding

GBA Institute of Collaborate Innovation GICI-022Guangzhou Science and Technology Committee Research Grant GZSTI16SC02; GZSTI17SC02Hong Kong Innovation Technology Fund ITCPD/17-9; ITC-CNERC14SC01Hong Kong Research Grants Council Hong Kong GRF 16100921Hong Kong RGC Theme-based Research Scheme T13-605/18-WShenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee ZDSYS201707281432317Special project of Foshan University of Science and Technology in 2019 FSUST19-SRI10The Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province 2020B1111110006Zhongshan Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology 2019AG035
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The role of cholinergic system in hair biology is poorly understood. In M4 muscarinic receptor (mAChR) knockout mice, the hair follicles have a prolonged telogen phase and fail to produce hair shafts. Here, we reported that hair growth was regulated by cholinergic signalling via mAChRs. Dermal papilla cells expressed different cholinergic biomarkers. Inhibiting AChE or activating mAChR in dermal papilla cells, cultured vibrissae and mouse skin epidermis promoted the hair growth. In cultured papilla cells treated with bethanechol, an agonist of mAChR, an activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling was illustrated by various indicative biomarkers, including phosphorylation of GSK-3β and mRNA expression of various molecules for Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling was mediated by PI3K/AKT and ERK signalling upon the stimulation of bethanechol. Moreover, the bethanechol-mediated signalling was blocked by specific antagonist of M4 mAChR. In addition, an increase in hair shaft elongation was observed in mouse vibrissae upon the treatment of bethanechol, suggesting the cholinergic role in hair growth.

Indexed as

DermisHairHair FollicleReceptors, MuscarinicAnimalsCells, CulturedGlycogen Synthase Kinase 3 betaMiceMice, KnockoutPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesPhosphorylationVibrissaeWnt Signaling PathwayGlycogen Synthase Kinase 3 betaPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesReceptors, Muscariniccholinergic systemdermal papillahair growthM4 muscarinic receptor

Identifiers

PMID41751811
PMCPMC12940422

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.