Koster Maranke I
Department of Dermatology and Charles C Gates Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology Program, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 Jul;1170:7-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04363.x.
The skin functions as a barrier protecting the body from dehydration and environmental insults. This barrier function is mainly provided by the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis. The epidermis is maintained by epidermal stem cells which reside in the basal layer and which generate daughter cells that move upward toward the surface of the skin. During this journey, keratinocytes undergo a series of biochemical and morphological changes that result in the formation of the various layers of the epidermis. Eventually, these cells turn into the outermost layer of dead cornified cells that are sloughed into the environment. This review summarizes our current understanding of the mechanisms that control proliferation and differentiation of epidermal stem cells, and thus addresses fundamental processes that control epidermal morphogenesis and function.
皮肤起到屏障作用，保护身体免受脱水和外界环境侵害。这种屏障功能主要由皮肤的最外层即表皮提供。表皮由位于基底层的表皮干细胞维持，这些干细胞产生的子细胞向上朝着皮肤表面移动。在这个过程中，角质形成细胞经历一系列生化和形态变化，导致表皮各层的形成。最终，这些细胞变成最外层的死亡角质化细胞，脱落到外界环境中。本综述总结了我们目前对控制表皮干细胞增殖和分化机制的理解，从而探讨了控制表皮形态发生和功能的基本过程。
