title: [Embryonic stem cells and epidermal commitment].
abstract: Embryonic stem (ES) cells can be cultured indefinitely, differentiated into many cell types in vitro, thus providing a potentially unlimited supply of cells for cell-based therapy. We recently reported the efficient derivation of ectodermal and epidermal cells from murine ES cells. These differentiated ES cells are able to form, in culture, a multilayered epidermis coupled with an underlying dermal compartment, similar to native skin. This model demons- trates that ES cells have the potential to recapitulate the reciprocal instructive ectodermal-mesodermal commitments, characteristic of embryonic skin formation, clarifies the role of the morphogen BMP-4 in the binary neuroectodermal choice and provides a powerful tool for the study of molecular mechanisms controlling skin development and multipotent epidermal stem cell properties. Its potential for cutaneous cell therapy and dermatocosmetological applications is discussed.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U634, Faculté de médecine, Avenue de Valombrose, 06107 Nice.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aberdam
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gambaro
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barthel
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rouleau
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aberdam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004817:Epidermis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: C525809:BMP4 protein, human; D055415:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins