Beyond Acne: Current Aspects of Sebaceous Gland Biology and Function

September 2016 in “ Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders ”

Christos C. Zouboulis, Mauro Picardo, Jun Qiang, Ichiro Kurokawa, Dániel Törőcsik, Tamás Bı́ró, Marlon R. Schneider

TLDR The sebaceous gland has more roles than just producing sebum and contributing to acne, and new research could lead to better skin disease treatments.

The 2016 document reviews the sebaceous gland (SG) and its functions beyond sebum production and acne pathogenesis. It covers the SG's association with hair follicles, the process of holocrine secretion, and recent research that has broadened the understanding of SG biology. This includes stem cell biology, regulation of cellular differentiation by transcription factors, specific lipid fractions, and the SG's roles in endocrine and neuroendocrine functions, innate immunity, detoxification, and skin aging. The development of in vitro models for human SG study has revealed new functions and necessitated a revision of the SG's role in skin. The paper also notes the discovery of hormone receptors on sebocytes, suggesting potential new therapeutic strategies for skin diseases. It emphasizes the species-specific nature of sebum and SG functions, the need for more data on sebocyte lineages, and the identification of SG stem cells responsible for sebocyte turnover. The conclusion is that the SG is now a focal point for research aimed at developing new treatments by targeting molecular mechanisms and pathways involved in SG pathogenesis, as well as understanding lipogenesis and differentiation within the SG.

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