Stem cells of the skin : their biology and clinical potential [electronic resource] / Elaine Fuchs.

(CIT): Stem cells can self-renew and differentiate along multiple lineages to generate different tissues. In the embryo, multipotent stem cells respond to various cues to undergo morphogenesis and produce these tissues. The epidermis of the skin is an excellent model to explore how multipotent stem cells are able to respond to different cues to generate three functional tissues: epidermis, sebaceous gland and hair follicles. In the adult, stem cells reside in the epidermal basal layer, at the base of the sebaceous gland and in a niche within the hair follicle known as the bulge. Despite intensive studies, we still know very little about how stem cells and these niches become established and maintained. Genetic marking and molecular approaches stem cells within the bulge typically cycle infrequently. In response to a skin injury, these stem cells can be mobilized to move upward, proliferate and repair epidermal wounds or replenish the sebaceous gland. In normal homeostasis, these stem cells fuel the hair cycle, where they become activated to proliferate and regenerate the hair follicle with each new anagen phase. It has been known for nearly a decade that that the transition from dormant to activated follicle stem cells involves changes in signaling by Wnts, BMPs, and other factors but the molecular details of the activation and commitment steps are still unfolding. My laboratory has used a combination of molecular, cellular continues to study the molecular mechanisms that underlie follicle stem cell activation, and in so doing have begun to realize that when sustained through genetic mutations, the pathways involved in stem cell activation lead to tumo igenesis and skin cancers Elaine Fuchs is internationally recognized for her contributions to skin biology and its human genetic disorders, including skin cancers and life-threatening genetic syndromes such as blistering skin disorders. For nearly three decades, Fuchs has focused on the molecular mechanisms th...

Channel: NIH Video Length: 74m 14s Date Found: Tue, Sep 16 2008 6:47 PM Category: Science Date Produced: View Count: 178