Transgenic models of skin diseases.
BACKGROUND
Transgenic animals have greatly enhanced our understanding of the contribution of various structural and regulatory components to epidermal biology. The expression of mutant versions of these components in the epidermis of transgenic mice has generated animal models of specific human skin diseases.


METHODS
The expression of mutant keratin genes has produced animal models of epidermolysis bullosa simplex and epidermolytic hyperkeratosis and, in doing so, has focused attention on the genetics of keratins in these and other skin disorders. Similarly, the generation of mice overexpressing growth factors and/or oncogenes, exclusively in the epidermis, has identified the role of these factors in normal skin and produced models of disease states where the regulation of these factors is perturbed.


CONCLUSIONS
These models of keratin disorders and other diseases not only enable the determination of the cause of these disorders, but also allow evaluation of novel therapeutic techniques for the amelioration of these skin diseases.
Rothnagel
J A
JA
Department of Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.
Greenhalgh
D A
DA
Wang
X J
XJ
Sellheyer
K
K
Bickenbach
J R
JR
Dominey
A M
AM
Roop
D R
DR
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D005799:Genes, Dominant / Q000235:genetics; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000235:genetics; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000235:genetics*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D007633:Keratins