Keratin Promotes Differentiation of Keratinocytes Seeded on Collagen/Keratin Hydrogels

October 2022 in “ Bioengineering ”

Kameel Zuniga, Neda Ghousifam, John J. Sansalone, Kris Senecal, Mark Van Dyke, Marissa Nichole Rylander

keratin keratinocytes collagen hydrogel lysosomal activity involucrin calcium differentiation marker

From the encyclopedia

Studysummary This study found that adding keratin to a collagen hydrogel improved keratinocyte differentiation compared to a pure collagen hydrogel, particularly when calcium was also present in the media.

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The study "Keratin Promotes Differentiation of Keratinocytes Seeded on Collagen/Keratin Hydrogels" found that adding keratin to a collagen hydrogel significantly increased the differentiation of keratinocytes, the primary cells in the skin's outer layer. This was indicated by increased lysosomal activity and the expression of involucrin, a differentiation marker. The addition of calcium further enhanced this differentiation. The study suggests that keratin plays a crucial role in promoting keratinocyte differentiation, which could have implications for skin health and hair growth. The study involved multiple experiments, each with a sample size of 4 or 60.

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Research cited in this study

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research Differential Evolution of the Epidermal Keratin Cytoskeleton in Terrestrial and Aquatic Mammals

68 citations , November 2018 in “Molecular Biology and Evolution”

This study found that keratin genes in the epidermis of aquatic mammals like cetaceans have evolved to replace stress-inducible keratins K1 and K10 with constitutively expressed K6 and K17, suggesting adaptations to their environment.

research Cell Death by Cornification

375 citations , June 2013 in “Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular cell research”

This review examines the process of cornification as a mode of programmed cell death and outlines how keratinocytes activate anti-cell death mechanisms to maintain epidermal homeostasis, but reports no new results.

research Human Keratin Hydrogels Support Fibroblast Attachment and Proliferation In Vitro

143 citations , January 2012 in “Cell and Tissue Research”

research Anatomy and Physiology of the Skin

277 citations , July 2011 in “Journal of the Dermatology Nurses’ Association”

The skin's layers protect, sense, and regulate the body's internal balance, but can be prone to cancer.

research A Review of Keratin-Based Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications

517 citations , February 2010 in “Materials”

This review discusses the history and development of keratin biomaterials for biomedical uses, highlighting their biological activity and biocompatibility, and provides no new research findings.

research The Human Keratins: Biology And Pathology

1398 citations , May 2008 in “Histochemistry and Cell Biology”

This review summarizes the cell type distribution and functional significance of human keratins, emphasizing their roles in tumor diagnosis and potential clinical applications, and reports no new clinical findings.