Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Desmosomes

Desmosomes

The term desmosome derives from the Greek words "desmo" and "soma" meaning "adhesion bodies." This structure was first observed during the late 1800s and described as small, dense nodules in the epidermis. Desmosomes are button-like structures that help form an interlinked network of intermediate filaments across the cells. These junctions are essential to hold cells together under mechanical stress and to maintain tissue integrity. Desmosomes are multi-protein complexes comprising desmosomal...

Anchoring Junctions

Anchoring Junctions

Anchoring junctions are multiprotein complexes that help cells connect to other cells and the extracellular matrix. Anchoring junctions are present on the lateral and basal surfaces of cells, providing strong and flexible connections. Focal adhesions are often formed due to cell interactions with the ECM substrata, which initiate signal transduction via kinase cascades and other mechanisms. Together, they provide stability and tissue integrity. There are three types of anchoring junctions:...

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

The skin is divided into epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, the skin's outermost, middle, and inner layers. The human epidermal layer regularly undergoes renewal, where old, dead cells are replaced by new cells. Epidermal stem cells or EpiSCs divide and differentiate to restore the lost cells. For the renewal process, some EpiSCs continuously self-renew. In contrast, few others differentiate into transit-amplifying cells, which later form prickle or spinous cells, followed by granular cells,...

Cells of the Epidermis

Cells of the Epidermis

The epidermis is made of four or five layers of epithelial cells, depending on its location in the body. From deep to superficial, these layers are the stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, stratum lucidum, and stratum corneum.
The cells in all these layers except the stratum basale are called keratinocytes, a type of cell that manufactures and stores the protein keratin. The keratinocytes in the stratum corneum are dead and regularly slough away, being replaced by cells from...

Papillary Dermis

Papillary Dermis

Dermis
The dermis might be considered the "core" of the integumentary system, as distinct from the epidermis and hypodermis. It contains blood and lymph vessels, nerves, and other structures, such as hair follicles and sweat glands. The dermis is made of two layers of connective tissue that comprise an interconnected mesh of elastin and collagenous fibers, produced by fibroblasts.
Papillary Layer
The papillary layer is made of loose, areolar connective tissue, which means the collagen and...

Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells

Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells

Epidermal stem cells (EpiSCs) are mainly located at the basal layer of the epidermis. These cells repair minor injuries of the skin and replace dead skin cells. However, EpiSCs’ cannot heal severe wounds such as major burns or those from diabetes or hereditary disorders. In such cases, culturing the epidermal stem cells from the patient is possible and has yielded successful treatment options, such as laboratory-grown skin grafts. These grafts are synthesized using a patient’s own EpiSCs...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

CMR Predictors of Liver Cirrhosis by MRI in a National Paediatric Fontan Cohort.

European heart journal. Cardiovascular Imaging·2026

Same author

Impact of coronary artery disease on systolic function in severe aortic stenosis-a multimodality imaging study.

European heart journal. Imaging methods and practice·2026

Same author

CMR T1 and T2 mapping and extracellular volume quantification in systolic phase produces superior image quality with less motion artifacts and equal mapping values compared to conventional diastolic mapping.

Magma (New York, N.Y.)·2026

Same author

Exploring MPM-FLIM for diagnostics of porokeratosis - a pilot study <i>ex vivo</i>.

Biomedical optics express·2026

Same author

Risk and prognosis of myocardial infarction in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1: Evidence of compromised survival.

Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics·2025

Same author

Cardiac MRI in patients with Fontan circulation: assessing risk factors for adverse outcomes.

Open heart·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Cultivating a Three-dimensional Reconstructed Human Epidermis at a Large Scale

Cultivating a Three-dimensional Reconstructed Human Epidermis at a Large Scale

Published on: May 28, 2021

Desmosomes in developing human epidermis.

Sirkku Peltonen¹, Laura Raiko, Juha Peltonen

¹Department of Dermatology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, PL 52, 20521 Turku, Finland.

Dermatology Research and Practice

|July 2, 2010

Summary

Human skin development, particularly desmosome formation, differs significantly from animal models. This review highlights human epidermal development and desmosome maturation alongside other cell junctions.

More Related Videos

Generation of Genetically Modified Organotypic Skin Cultures Using Devitalized Human Dermis

Generation of Genetically Modified Organotypic Skin Cultures Using Devitalized Human Dermis

Published on: December 14, 2015

Building Up Skin Models for Numerous Applications - from Two-Dimensional (2D) Monoculture to Three-Dimensional (3D) Multiculture

Building Up Skin Models for Numerous Applications - from Two-Dimensional (2D) Monoculture to Three-Dimensional (3D) Multiculture

Published on: October 20, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Cultivating a Three-dimensional Reconstructed Human Epidermis at a Large Scale

Cultivating a Three-dimensional Reconstructed Human Epidermis at a Large Scale

Published on: May 28, 2021

Generation of Genetically Modified Organotypic Skin Cultures Using Devitalized Human Dermis

Generation of Genetically Modified Organotypic Skin Cultures Using Devitalized Human Dermis

Published on: December 14, 2015

Building Up Skin Models for Numerous Applications - from Two-Dimensional (2D) Monoculture to Three-Dimensional (3D) Multiculture

Building Up Skin Models for Numerous Applications - from Two-Dimensional (2D) Monoculture to Three-Dimensional (3D) Multiculture

Published on: October 20, 2023

Area of Science:

Developmental biology
Dermatology
Cell biology

Background:

Desmosomes are crucial for tissue morphogenesis and cell differentiation.
Animal models provide insights into epidermal development, but human data is scarce.
Human and murine epidermal development timelines and outcomes differ.

Purpose of the Study:

To review human skin development with a focus on desmosomes.
To compare human desmosomal development with other intercellular junctions.
To address limitations of animal models in studying human skin development.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on human skin development.
Comparative analysis of desmosomal and other junctional complex maturation.
Emphasis on species-specific differences in epidermal development.

Main Results:

Human epidermal development involves complex desmosome maturation.
Desmosomal development parallels the maturation of adherens, tight, and gap junctions.
Genetic and temporal differences exist between human and murine epidermal development.

Conclusions:

Understanding human desmosome development is critical due to species-specific differences.
Desmosomal maturation is a key event in human epidermal differentiation.
Further research on human skin development is needed, considering junctional complex interactions.