Development and Homeostasis of the Skin Epidermis

July 2012 in “ Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology ”

Panagiota A. Sotiropoulou, Cédric Blanpain

skin epidermis hair follicles sebaceous glands sweat glands stem cells signaling pathways renewal differentiation

TLDR The skin protects the body and is constantly renewed by stem cells; disruptions can lead to cancer.

The skin epidermis, a stratified epithelium, served as a protective barrier against dehydration, mechanical stress, and infections, and included appendages like hair follicles, sebaceous glands, sweat glands, and touch domes, which were crucial for thermoregulation, environmental sensing, and social behavior. It underwent constant turnover, maintained by distinct stem cells responsible for the homeostasis of its various compartments. Disruption in the signaling pathways that regulated the balance between renewal and differentiation often resulted in cancer formation.

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