REVIEW ARTICLE
BJD British Journal of Dermatology
Epidermal stem cells: practical perspectives and
potential uses
O. Abbas and M. Mahalingam*
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
*Dermatopathology Section, Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
Correspondence
Meera Mahalingam.
E-mail: mmahalin@bu.edu
Accepted for publication
7 April 2009
Key words
epidermal, melanocytic, stem cells
Conflicts of interest
None declared.
DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2009.09250.x
Summary
Throughout adult life, the epidermis and the hair follicle undergo a perpetual
cycle of growth, regression and rest. Stem cells in the epidermis not only ensure
the maintenance of epidermal homeostasis and hair regeneration, but also con-
tribute to repair of the epidermis after injury. These stem cells lie within specific
niches in the hair follicle and the epidermis. The availability of monoclonal anti-
bodies that can be used on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue has greatly
facilitated the use of this methodology as an adjunct to uncovering stem cell
niches. In this review, we attempt to provide an overview of the potential mark-
ers available to identify and study stem cells in an effort to providing a better
understanding of the pathogenesis of skin diseases including disorders of hair
loss and malignancies. The potential uses of these markers in prognosis and in
expanding the therapeutic options in several disorders will also be addressed.
There are two broad categories of mammalian stem cells: stem
cells that are capable of differentiating into all of the special-
ized embryonic tissues and stem cells that are found in differ-
ent regenerative adult tissues and are of importance in the
maintenance of normal tissue turnover and repair by replen-
ishing specialized differentiated cells.1,2 In mammals, adult or
tissue-specific stem cells have been identified in various tis-
sues, including the haematopoietic system, central nervous
system, corneal ep