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Updated: May 8, 2026
08:49
Cultivating a Three-dimensional Reconstructed Human Epidermis at a Large Scale
Published on: May 28, 2021
The epidermis comprises autonomous compartments maintained by distinct stem cell populations.
Mahalia E Page1, Patrick Lombard, Felicia Ng
1Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Tennis Court Road, CB2 1QR Cambridge, UK; Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, CB2 0QQ Cambridge, UK.
Cell Stem Cell
|August 20, 2013
Summary
Epidermal stem cells are lineage-restricted during homeostasis, with Lrig1(+ve) cells maintaining specific upper skin structures. Upon wounding, these stem cells gain plasticity, contributing to tissue regeneration and tumor formation.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Tissue Regeneration
Background:
- The epidermis harbors diverse adult stem cell populations.
- Functional overlap of epidermal stem cells during homeostasis, wound healing, and tumorigenesis is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of Lrig1(+ve) cells in epidermal homeostasis and regeneration.
- To determine the contribution of Lrig1(+ve) cells to wound healing and tumor initiation.
Main Methods:
- Long-term clonal analysis of epidermal stem cells.
- Investigating the effects of oncogene activation in Lrig1(+ve) cells.
Main Results:
- Lrig1(+ve) cells are proliferative epidermal stem cells maintaining the upper pilosebaceous unit (infundibulum, sebaceous gland) independently.
- These cells do not contribute to hair follicle or interfollicular epidermis maintenance during homeostasis.
- Wounding induces lineage plasticity in stem cell progeny from multiple compartments, leading to permanent contributions to regenerated tissue.
- Oncogene activation in Lrig1(+ve) cells causes hyperplasia but requires additional stimuli for tumor formation.
Conclusions:
- Epidermal stem cells exhibit lineage restriction during homeostasis, with compartmentalization as a potential conserved mechanism for epithelial maintenance.
- Lineage plasticity is acquired upon wounding, enabling broader contributions to tissue repair.
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