Shaping Epithelial Tissues by Stem Cell Mechanics in Development and Cancer

In this study, researchers found that retinoic acid is crucial for hair follicle stem cell function and tissue regeneration by resolving lineage plasticity, with potential therapeutic implications for hair growth, wound healing, and cancer.

In this research, the authors identify coordinated mechanical forces as crucial for hair follicle development in mammals, with contractile, proliferative, and proteolytic activities facilitating the formation and sectioning of epithelial structures crucial for forming a functional tissue.

In this study, researchers demonstrated that the expression of the oncogene SmoM2 leads to basal cell carcinoma in the ear epidermis of mice but not in the back skin, with differences in susceptibility linked to the composition of the extracellular matrix.

This study found that basement membrane components and structures in mouse hair follicles are highly specialized for specific inter-tissue interactions, with laminin α5 playing a crucial role in hair cycle regulation and anchoring.

This study suggests that age-related changes in skin elasticity reduce its stability against wrinkling, and anti-aging strategies should focus on addressing elastic mismatches between skin layers.

This study found that micro-niches within hair follicles create heterogeneity among stem cells and transit-amplifying cells, leading to specialized progenitors that control tissue morphogenesis and regeneration.

This article reviews the biology of epithelial stem cells and their role in tissue self-renewal, maintenance, and regeneration, and it highlights the clinical implications of understanding their signaling pathways, but it presents no new clinical findings.