title: The cornified envelope: a first line of defense against reactive oxygen species.
abstract: Human skin serves as a barrier against multiple environmental insults, including pathogenic microorganisms, pollutants, toxic chemicals, and UV radiation. In the outermost layer of the epidermis, the cornified envelope functions as a mechanical and permeability barrier. In this issue, Vermeij et al. report a novel function of cornified envelope proteins as a first-line antioxidant barrier to protect the body from damage induced by reactive oxygen species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Institute of Cell Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D055233:Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D055233:Cornified Envelope Proline-Rich Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C444462:SPRR4 protein, human