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Human Molecular Genetics 2008 17(R1):R54-R59; doi:10.1093/hmg/ddn086
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

This article appears in the following Human Molecular Genetics issue: Stem Cells and Regeneration [View the issue table of contents]

Skin and hair: models for exploring organ regeneration

Benjamin D. Yu*, Anandaroop Mukhopadhyay and Crystal Wong

Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed at: UCSD School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Dr, MC-0741, La Jolla, CA 92093-0741, USA. Tel: +1 8585349426; Fax: +1 8585349425; Email: byu{at}ucsd.edu

Received February 9, 2008; Accepted March 12, 2008

Skin is an excellent model to study the basic biology of organ regeneration and translational approaches to regenerative medicine. Because of the accessibility of the skin, a long history of regenerative approaches already exists. Identifying the commonalities between skin regeneration and the regeneration of other organs could provide major breakthroughs in regenerative medicine. The hair follicle represents a miniature organ with readily accessible stem cells, multiple cell lineages, and signaling centers. During the normal lifespan of a human, this miniature organ regenerates itself more than 10 times. The cells responsible for this remarkable process are called bulge stem cells. A plethora of molecular and genetic tools have been developed to follow their fate and to explore their ontogeny. Major advances have been made toward understanding the normal cell fate of bulge stem cells and their developmental plasticity. Recent studies suggest the epidermis and hair may have an untapped potential to form other organs. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate adult stem-cell proliferation is a major goal for regenerative medicine. In the hair follicle, pharmacologic agents, recombinant proteins, and artificial cell-permeable proteins have been developed to manipulate the proliferation of the quiescent bulge stem cells. These advances illustrate a potential roadmap for regenerative medicine using molecular tools developed for skin biology to promote organ regeneration by manipulating adult stem cells in situ.


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