Skin Stem Cells: At the Frontier Between the Laboratory and Clinical Practice. Part 1: Epidermal Stem Cells

• Published in: Actas dermo-sifiliográficas (English ed.) Vol. 106; no. 9; pp. 725 - 732
• Main Authors: Pastushenko, I, Prieto-Torres, L, Gilaberte, Y, Blanpain, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain Elsevier España 01-11-2015
• Subjects: Adult stem cells; Adult Stem Cells - classification; Adult Stem Cells - cytology; Animals; Aplicaciones terapéuticas; Burns - surgery; Cell Differentiation; Cell Lineage; Cell Self Renewal; Cicatrix - pathology; Células madre del adulto; Células madre epidérmicas; Dermatology; Dermatología; Epidermal stem cells; Epidermis - cytology; Forecasting; Genetic Therapy - methods; Hair Follicle - cytology; Homeostasis; Humans; Internal Medicine; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Mutation; Review; Revisión; Sebaceous Glands - cytology; Skin Neoplasms - pathology; Stem Cell Transplantation; Therapeutic applications; Epidermal stem cells; Adult stem cells; Dermatology; Therapeutic applications; Células madre epidérmicas; Revisión; Review; Células madre del adulto; Dermatología; Aplicaciones terapéuticas
• ISSN: 1578-2190; 2173-5778; 1578-2190
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adengl.2015.09.010

Abstract Stem cells are characterized by their ability to self-renew and differentiate into the different cell lineages of their tissue of origin. The discovery of stem cells in adult tissues, together with the description of specific markers for their isolation, has opened up new lines of investigation, expanding the horizons of biomedical research and raising new hope in the treatment of many diseases. In this article, we review in detail the main characteristics of the stem cells that produce the specialized cells of the skin (epidermal, mesenchymal, and melanocyte stem cells) and their potential implications and applications in diseases affecting the skin. Part I deals with the principal characteristics and potential applications of epidermal stem cells in dermatology.