TLDR Elaine Fuchs' research shows how skin stem cells maintain health, aid in healing, and are involved in cancer.
In 2020, Elaine Fuchs received the Canada Gairdner International Award for her pioneering research on adult skin stem cells, particularly their roles in homeostasis, wound repair, inflammation, and cancer. Her work using mouse models has been instrumental in understanding the regulation of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs), uncovering the significance of growth factors, transcription factors, and epigenetic mechanisms in HFSC maintenance and hair growth. Fuchs' lab also revealed that HFSCs are involved in wound healing by contributing to epidermal migration for wound closure and that epidermal stem cells possess an inflammatory memory that improves their response to subsequent injuries. Furthermore, her research has shed light on the molecular mechanisms of skin cancer and the impact of the microenvironment on cancer stem cells. Her contributions have significantly advanced stem cell biology and impacted various fields, including immunology, dermatology, and cancer biology.
426 citations,
August 2014 in “Nature Medicine” Skin stem cells interacting with their environment is crucial for maintaining and regenerating skin and hair, and understanding this can help develop new treatments for skin and hair disorders.
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156 citations,
December 2012 in “Cell Stem Cell” TGF-β is crucial for controlling stem cell behavior and changes in its signaling can lead to diseases like cancer.
426 citations,
August 2014 in “Nature Medicine” Skin stem cells interacting with their environment is crucial for maintaining and regenerating skin and hair, and understanding this can help develop new treatments for skin and hair disorders.
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Different stem cells are key for hair growth and health, and understanding their regulation could help treat hair loss.
6 citations,
January 2015 in “Journal of regenerative medicine & tissue engineering” The review concludes that innovations in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and developmental biology are essential for effective tissue repair and organ transplants.
August 2022 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” DNA methylation controls lncRNA2919, which negatively affects hair growth.
6 citations,
July 2023 in “Nature cell biology” SOX9 helps determine stem cell roles by interacting with DNA and proteins that control gene activity.
