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Adult Stem Cells
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Cell Motility
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overview
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Given their pivotal role in tissue homeostasis and regenerative medicine, somatic/adult stem cells are of tremendous interest to both biomedical research field and the public. Skin and its appendages provide a protective barrier that keeps harmful microbes out and essential body fluids in. To perform these functions while confronting the physicochemical traumas from the outside world, human skin must undergo rejuvenation through homeostasis and wound repair. Both processes rely on the essential activities of skin somatic stem cells, including the activation and migration of epidermal stem cells upon wounding, as well as the delicate balance of epidermal stem cell proliferation, self-renewal and differentiation during tissue homeostasis. Understanding the underlying mechanisms is important, because dysregulation of these processes leads to many skin diseases including cancers. Research in my laboratory is dedicated to understanding the dynamics, signaling, and clinical applications of epidermal stem cells. Particularly, we are interested in three fundamental questions in this field: 1) regenerative medicine and tissue engineering with epidermal stem cells; 2) migration and cytoskeletal dynamics of epidermal stem/progenitor cells; and 3) molecular mechanisms controlling stemness and differentiation of epidermal stem cells.
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