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Related Experiment Video

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Transfecting and Nucleofecting Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Transfecting and Nucleofecting Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: October 5, 2011

Human nail stem cells are retained but hypofunctional during aging.

Jia Shi¹, Zhengtao Lv¹, Mingbo Nie¹

¹Department of Orthopedics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, China.

Journal of Molecular Histology

|April 11, 2018

Summary

Researchers discovered a novel population of human nail stem cells in the nail proximal folds and matrix. These cells, similar to mouse counterparts, retain abundance with age but show reduced proliferation and growth.

Keywords:

Aging Human nail Regeneration Stem cell

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Culturing Human Pluripotent and Neural Stem Cells in an Enclosed Cell Culture System for Basic and Preclinical Research

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Published on: June 10, 2016

Area of Science:

Dermatology
Stem Cell Biology
Regenerative Medicine

Background:

Nail stem cells are crucial for nail regeneration, with studies mainly conducted in mice.
Limited research exists on human nail stem cells, hindering understanding of nail biology and aging.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify and characterize a putative stem cell population in postnatal human nails.
To investigate the characteristics and age-related changes of these human nail stem cells.

Main Methods:

Human nail specimens from the nail proximal folds (NPFs) and nail matrix were analyzed.
Immunohistochemistry was used to detect stem cell markers (K15, K14, K19, CD29, CD34, Lgr6).
Comparison of cell proliferation and nail growth rates between young and aged human specimens.

Main Results:

An unreported population of multi-expressing cells was identified in the basal layer of human NPFs and nail matrix.
These cells expressed key stem cell markers, similar to mouse nail stem cells.
While cell abundance was maintained with age, proliferation and nail growth rates decreased in aged individuals.

Conclusions:

A putative human nail stem cell population exists in the NPFs and nail matrix.
These cells show potential for differentiation and injury response, but may become hypofunctional with aging.
Findings provide insights into human nail biology, aging, and potential regenerative strategies.