The hair follicle bulge stem cell niche resists transformation by the hedgehog pathway.
Similarities between basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumor cells and hair follicle keratinocytes had previously suggested that BCC originates within the hair follicle bulge stem cell niche. However, in the current Nature Cell Biology, Youssef et al. (2010) show that BCC instead originates in the interfollicular epidermis.
Ridky
Todd W
TW
Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Dermatology, Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Khavari
Paul A
PA
Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Dermatology, Program in Epithelial Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address: khavari@stanford.edu.