Corticosterone inhibits GAS6 to govern hair follicle stem-cell quiescence

These authors report that in mice the stress hormone corticosterone (the rodent equivalent of cortisol in humans) acts on dermal papillae to suppress expression of Gas6 (encoding growth arrest specific 6) and thereby cause hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) quiescence and reduced hair growth. They show that in chronic stress, high levels of corticosterone prolong HFSC quiescence and maintain hair follicles in an extended resting phase.