{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T21:43:16Z","timestamp":1791236596988,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":102,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768780800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["CIMB"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Alopecia profoundly impacts psychological well-being and quality of life, yet current therapeutic options such as minoxidil and finasteride exhibit limited efficacy. Fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF-7), also known as keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), is a paracrine growth factor secreted by dermal papilla cells that specifically activates the epithelial receptor FGFR2b. Receptor engagement triggers multiple downstream signaling cascades, including the MAPK\/ERK, PI3K\/Akt, and Wnt\/\u03b2-catenin pathways, promoting keratinocyte proliferation, stem cell activation, and the transition of hair follicles into the anagen phase. Both in vitro and in vivo animal studies consistently demonstrate that FGF-7 accelerates telogen-to-anagen transition and enhances follicular regeneration. FGF-7 acts synergistically with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to sustain nutrient delivery and cell proliferation. Human scalp studies further reveal a strong association between the FGF-7\/FGFR2b signaling and follicular activity; however, clinical trials remain scarce. Topical application of FGF-7 has demonstrated an excellent safety profile, whereas systemic administration necessitates careful monitoring. Future directions include the development of engineering to extend the systemic half-life, advanced delivery systems, and gene or mRNA-based therapeutic approaches. Thus, the FGF-7\/FGFR2b axis is a highly compelling molecular target for next-generation hair regeneration therapies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cimb48010102","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]],"date-time":"2026-01-19T09:57:02Z","timestamp":1768816622000},"page":"102","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Fibroblast Growth Factor-7 and Hair Biology: Bridging Basic Science and Therapeutic Applications"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"48","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3300-5946","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Huey-Chun","family":"Huang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung City 406040, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wang-Ju","family":"Hsieh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Schweitzer Biotech Company, Taipei City 114066, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ivona","family":"Percec","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19010, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tsong-Min","family":"Chang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Applied Cosmetology, Hungkuang University, Taichung City 433304, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"701","DOI":"10.1007\/s40265-023-01880-x","article-title":"Androgenetic Alopecia: Therapy Update","volume":"83","author":"Devjani","year":"2023","journal-title":"Drugs"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"e8320","article-title":"Telogen Effluvium: A Review of the Literature","volume":"12","author":"Asghar","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sder.2008.12.001","article-title":"Chemotherapy-induced alopecia","volume":"28","author":"Trueb","year":"2009","journal-title":"Semin. 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