title: The important role of stratum corneum lipids for the cutaneous barrier function.
abstract: The skin protects the body from unwanted influences from the environment as well as excessive water loss. The barrier function of the skin is located in the stratum corneum (SC). The SC consists of corneocytes embedded in a lipid matrix. This lipid matrix is crucial for the lipid skin barrier function. This paper provides an overview of the reported SC lipid composition and organization mainly focusing on healthy and diseased human skin. In addition, an overview is provided on the data describing the relation between lipid modulations and the impaired skin barrier function. Finally, the use of in vitro lipid models for a better understanding of the relation between the lipid composition, lipid organization and skin lipid barrier is discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled The Important Role of Lipids in the Epidermis and their Role in the Formation and Maintenance of the Cutaneous Barrier. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled The Important Role of Lipids in the Epidermis and their Role in the Formation and Maintenance of the Cutaneous Barrier. Guest Editors: Kenneth R. Feingold and Peter Elias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Delivery Technology, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Smeden
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Delivery Technology, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Delivery Technology, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Gooris
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Delivery Technology, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: bouwstra@chem.leidenuniv.nl.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bouwstra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004817:Epidermis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids
keywords: Atopic dermatitis; Ceramides; Lipid composition; Lipid organization; Netherton disease; Psoriasis