Stem cells in the skin regeneration and wound healing：problem and perspective / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Present treatments for chronic skin wounds have certain limitations, and adult stem cels play a potentialpart in cutaneous repair and regeneration. OBJECTIVE:To review effects of stem cels in skin regeneration and wound healing. METHODS:The first author retrieved CNKI and Medline databases by computer for relevant articles published from 2000 to 2010. Thekeywords were “epidermal stem cels, hair folicle stem cels, stem cels, transplantation, dermal stem cels” in Chinese and in English, respectively. Then totaly 489 papers were obtained after initial survey, and according to the inclusion criteria, 30articles were selected for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Epidermal stem cels and other adult stem celshave beenapplied to treat wounds and other skin diseases. Epidermal stem celsarethe crucialcelsource of skin development, repairandremodeling.Epidermal stem celsarealwaysina resting statein vivo.Unless,skin injure or culturein vitro, celdivision and proliferation wilbe significantly fastened. The stability of the epidermis mainly dependson the asymmetric divisionof a subpopulation, in which two daughter celsare produced, including one with characteristics of stem cels, and the other differentiated into transient amplifying cels that wil be differentiated intopost mitotic celsafter a series of cel divisions (3-5 times). Afterwards, those post mitotic celsaredeveloped into terminal differentiation cels onthe basal layer, finaly detachfromthe epidermisasdander. In addition, it is unclear whether epidermal factors are related to apoptosis, migration and differentiation in the process of wound repairandeven under physiological conditions. Therefore, application ofstem celsinwound healing requiresa further discussion.