Skin stem cell (None)

Skin stem cells are a group of multipotent adult stem cells residing in various niches within the skin, such as the basal layer of the epidermis, hair follicle bulge, and sebaceous gland. They perpetuate tissue homeostasis by replenishing differentiated cells, enable rapid repair after injury, and have lineage plasticity allowing cross-talk between epidermal and hair follicle stem cells in response to damage. Identification relies on cell surface and transcriptional markers, with prominent signaling pathways including Notch, Wnt, BMP, TGF-beta, and retinoic acid involved in their regulation. Skin stem cells play crucial roles in normal barrier maintenance, wound healing, and are implicated in skin cancers and other pathologies.

Other names

Epidermal stem cellhair follicle stem cellsebaceous gland stem cellEpdSC (epidermal stem cell)dermal stem cellmelanocyte stem cellmesenchymal stem cell

Modulation of stem cell proliferation, differentiation, and lineage plasticity through pathways such as retinoic acid signaling (Vitamin A), Notch, Wnt, BMP, TGF-beta; inhibition of TGF-beta may restore normal stem cell function in cancer. Retinoids can suppress lineage plasticity, potentially reducing tumor aggressiveness.