Benitah S Aznar
Epithelial Homeostasis and Cancer Laboratory, Department of Differentiation and Cancer, Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG-PRBB), Barcelona, Spain.
Clin Transl Oncol. 2007 Dec;9(12):760-6. doi: 10.1007/s12094-007-0137-x.
Skin and squamous epithelia regulate water and heat homeostasis and constitute our first barrier of protection against pathogens. Cells from the outermost layer of the skin, the cornified envelope (stratum corneum), are constantly being shed, imposing a constant demand for replenishment to maintain homeostasis. Hair follicles and sebaceous glands provide protective hair growth and skin sebum, and continuously undergo cycles of growth and regression. The outstanding ability of the epidermis, hair follicles and sebaceous glands to self-renew relies on a population of adult stem cells that are maintained throughout our life span. In this review we will provide an overview of our current knowledge about epidermal stem cells, and some of the molecular mechanisms that identify them and dictate their behaviour. We will also summarise our view on the possible link between adult epidermal stem cells and cancer stem cells within skin and squamous neoplasias. The potential of epidermal stem cells in regenerative medicine and for designing targeted antitumoral therapies will be discussed.
皮肤和鳞状上皮调节水和热稳态，并构成我们抵御病原体的第一道保护屏障。来自皮肤最外层即角质化包膜（角质层）的细胞不断脱落，因此持续需要补充以维持稳态。毛囊和皮脂腺提供保护性毛发生长和皮肤皮脂，并不断经历生长和退化周期。表皮、毛囊和皮脂腺的卓越自我更新能力依赖于一群在我们整个生命周期中都得以维持的成体干细胞。在本综述中，我们将概述目前关于表皮干细胞的知识，以及一些识别它们并决定其行为的分子机制。我们还将总结我们对于皮肤和鳞状肿瘤中成人表皮干细胞与癌症干细胞之间可能联系的看法。将讨论表皮干细胞在再生医学以及设计靶向抗肿瘤疗法方面的潜力。
