Epidermal keratinocyte stem cells: their maintenance and regulation
December 1992
in “
Seminars in cell biology
”
epidermal keratinocyte stem cells Langerhans cell dermal cells stem cell niches cellular diversity microenvironment self-renewal dermis bulge region hair follicle interfollicular keratinocytes basal keratinocytes proliferation maturation potential lineage markers keratinocyte differentiation skin stem cells skin immune cells skin cells stem cell environments cell diversity cell environment cell renewal skin layer hair root area hair root skin surface cells base skin cells cell growth cell development potential cell markers skin cell development
TLDR Skin stem cells are maintained by signals from nearby cells and vary in their ability to renew and mature.
In the 1992 paper, the maintenance and regulation of epidermal keratinocyte stem cells were explored, highlighting the role of the epidermal Langerhans cell (ELC) and dermal cells in creating stem cell 'niches' and contributing to cellular diversity. The paper considered various models of stem cell maintenance and discussed the role of the microenvironment in stem cell self-renewal. It was found that the dermis is crucial for maintaining keratinocyte stem cells, as it provides essential signals for their self-renewal, and that the bulge region of the hair follicle may contain cells with a greater capacity for self-renewal than interfollicular keratinocytes. The document also noted the heterogeneity of basal keratinocytes in their proliferation and maturation potential, suggesting that some keratinocytes have a higher self-renewal capacity and are refractory to terminal maturation stimuli. The paper concluded that while significant knowledge exists about keratinocyte stem cells, many questions remain, particularly regarding the identification of lineage markers and the genes regulating keratinocyte differentiation.
