Cell Death as an Architect of Adult Skin Stem Cell Niches

April 2024 in “ Cell death and differentiation ”

Kim Lecomte, Annagiada Toniolo, Esther Hoste

cell death apoptosis regulated necrotic cell death inflammation stem cells epidermal barrier hair follicles keratinocytes phagocytes tumor initiation skin inflammation injury repair inflammatory skin disorders cancer SCs KCs

Studysummary This study discusses how different modes of regulated cell death in keratinocytes affect skin stem cell niches, and their role in skin inflammation, injury repair, and cancer, based on findings from human dermatological conditions and experimental mouse models. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This document discusses the role of cell death in shaping the niches of adult skin stem cells (SCs), which are crucial for maintaining the epidermal barrier and hair follicles. It highlights that while apoptosis is the default, non-inflammatory cell death program in the skin, other forms of regulated necrotic cell death can provoke inflammation and impact SC functionality. The study reveals that dying cells, once thought to be merely a consequence of inflammation, can actually drive skin inflammation and tumor initiation. Keratinocytes (KCs) can act as non-professional phagocytes, removing apoptotic cells and influencing SC capacities. The document underscores the differential impact of various cell death modalities on skin SC populations, particularly in contexts of heightened SC activity, and their implications for injury repair, inflammatory skin disorders, and cancer.

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Research cited in this study

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