TLDR Stem cell differentiation is crucial for skin barrier maintenance and its disruption can lead to skin diseases.
The document reviewed the mechanisms regulating epidermal stem and progenitor cell differentiation, which are crucial for maintaining the skin's protective barrier. It highlighted that while the repair and renewal of the epidermal barrier were well-studied, the pathways controlling stem cell differentiation were less understood. Key factors such as asymmetric cell divisions, microRNAs, chromatin remodeling complexes, and various differentiation factors were identified as tightly controlling the balance between stem and progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation. Disruption of this balance was linked to skin diseases. The review aimed to summarize current advances and explore new relationships in maintaining skin barrier function.
351 citations,
February 2010 in “Nature Cell Biology” Basal cell carcinoma mostly starts from cells in the upper skin layers, not hair follicle stem cells.
168 citations,
August 2009 in “EMBO molecular medicine” Epidermal stem cells are diverse and vary in activity, playing key roles in skin maintenance and repair.
835 citations,
October 2008 in “Nature Genetics” Lgr5 is a marker for active, long-lasting stem cells in mouse hair follicles.
829 citations,
May 2007 in “Nature” Hair follicles can regrow in wounded adult mouse skin using a process like embryo development.
508 citations,
February 2007 in “Cell” Epithelial stem cells are crucial for tissue renewal and repair, and understanding them could improve treatments for damage and cancer.
85 citations,
July 2012 in “Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology” The skin protects the body and is constantly renewed by stem cells; disruptions can lead to cancer.
83 citations,
May 2013 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” Skin development in mammals is controlled by key proteins and signals from underlying cells, involving stem cells for maintenance and repair.
26 citations,
July 2016 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” The protein Par3 is crucial for healthy skin, affecting the skin barrier, cell differentiation, and stem cell maintenance.
9 citations,
January 2017 in “Elsevier eBooks” Skin's epithelial stem cells are crucial for repair and maintenance, and understanding them could improve treatments for skin problems.
124 citations,
July 2017 in “eLife” Type XVII collagen helps control skin cell growth and could be a target for anti-aging treatments.
105 citations,
October 2017 in “Stem cells” Wnt signaling is crucial for skin development and hair growth.