title: Epidermal barriers.
abstract: The epidermis functions as a physical barrier to the external environment and works to prevent loss of water from the skin. Numerous factors have been implicated in the formation of epidermal barriers, such as cornified envelopes, corneocytes, lipids, junctional proteins, proteases, protease inhibitors, antimicrobial peptides, and transcription factors. This review illustrates human diseases (ichthyoses) and animal models in which the epidermal barrier is disrupted or dysfunctional at steady state owing to ablation of one or more of the above factors. These diseases and animal models help us to understand the complicated mechanisms of epidermal barrier formation and give further insights on epidermal development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Natsuga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007057:Ichthyosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D057057:Serine Proteases / Q000378:metabolism; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D019108:Tight Junctions / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D057057:Serine Proteases