Epidermal homeostasis: a balancing act of stem cells in the skin.
The skin epidermis and its array of appendages undergo ongoing renewal by a process called homeostasis. Stem cells in the epidermis have a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis by providing new cells to replace those that are constantly lost during tissue turnover or following injury. Different resident skin stem cell pools contribute to the maintenance and repair of the various epidermal tissues of the skin, including interfollicular epidermis, hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Interestingly, the basic mechanisms and signalling pathways that orchestrate epithelial morphogenesis in the skin are reused during adult life to regulate skin homeostasis.
Blanpain
Cédric
C
Université Libre de Bruxelles, Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire, 808, route de Lennik, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium.
Fuchs
Elaine
E
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*