Stratum corneum of scalp

The stratum corneum is a tissue layer, not a molecule or receptor, and therefore is not a therapeutic target in the conventional sense (such as a receptor, enzyme, transporter, or other druggable protein). It is the outermost layer of the epidermis, composed of multiple structural and chemical components working together as a functional unit. While it serves critical biological functions, it is not a single, discrete therapeutic target amenable to drug binding or modulation in the way that receptors, enzymes, or transporters are. The stratum corneum functions as a "2-compartment system" comprising: Corneocytes (flattened, protein-rich, anucleated keratinocytes that form the structural "bricks") and an Extracellular lipid matrix (composed of ceramides, free fatty acids, cholesterol, cholesterol sulfate, and cholesterol esters that function as the "mortar"). The layer consists of approximately 15 layers of flattened corneocytes and is divided into two sublayers: the stratum compactum (deep, dense layer) and the stratum disjunctum (loose, superficial layer).

Not applicable; the stratum corneum is a tissue layer, not a molecular target amenable to direct drug binding or modulation in the conventional sense. Therapeutic interventions typically aim to modify its components or improve its overall barrier function rather than targeting the entire layer as a single entity.