TLDR The skin has different types of stem cells that can repair and regenerate tissue.
The document from 2012 discussed the existence of several distinct stem cell populations in different compartments of the skin. These included hair follicle bulge epithelial stem cells, distinct populations of stem cells in the interfollicular epidermis and sebaceous glands, and mesenchymal stem cells in the dermis and adipose tissue. These stem cells were noted for their self-renewal capacity and their ability to undergo multi-lineage differentiation. These properties were being exploited therapeutically for tissue repair, regenerative medicine, and stem cell transplantation.
Cited in this study
5 / 5 results
62 citations
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August 2009 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Epidermal stem cells could lead to new treatments for skin and hair disorders.
43 citations
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June 2008 in “Journal of cutaneous pathology” Melanocyte precursors in human fetal skin follow a specific migration pattern and some remain in the skin's deeper layers.
165 citations
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July 2007 in “European Journal of Cell Biology” Hair follicle stem cells are key for hair and skin regeneration, can be reprogrammed, and have potential therapeutic uses, but also carry a risk of cancer.
788 citations
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February 2007 in “Nature” The document concludes that skin stem cells are important for hair growth and wound healing, and could be used in regenerative medicine.
550 citations
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December 2005 in “The Journal of clinical investigation/The journal of clinical investigation” Researchers successfully isolated and identified key markers of stem cell-enriched human hair follicle bulge cells.