Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Jul 29;10(1):229.
doi: 10.1186/s13287-019-1312-z.

Epidermal stem cells in wound healing and their clinical applications

Ronghua Yang  1 , Fengxia Liu  2 , Jingru Wang  1 , Xiaodong Chen  1 , Julin Xie  3 , Kun Xiong  4
Affiliations
Review

Epidermal stem cells in wound healing and their clinical applications

Ronghua Yang et al. Stem Cell Res Ther. .

Erratum in

Abstract

The skin has important barrier, sensory, and immune functions, contributing to the health and integrity of the organism. Extensive skin injuries that threaten the entire organism require immediate and effective treatment. Wound healing is a natural response, but in severe conditions, such as burns and diabetes, this process is insufficient to achieve effective treatment. Epidermal stem cells (EPSCs) are a multipotent cell type and are committed to the formation and differentiation of the functional epidermis. As the contributions of EPSCs in wound healing and tissue regeneration have been increasingly attracting the attention of researchers, a rising number of therapies based on EPSCs are currently under development. In this paper, we review the characteristics of EPSCs and the mechanisms underlying their functions during wound healing. Applications of EPSCs are also discussed to determine the potential and feasibility of using EPSCs clinically in wound healing.

Keywords: Epidermal stem cells; Epithelial regeneration; Signaling pathway; Wound healing.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Illustration of the different populations of EPCs and their specific markers
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Schematic of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. In the absence of Wnt signaling (left), β-catenin binds to axin, APC, and GSK3-β and becomes phosphorylated and targeted for degradation. β-Catenin also exists in a cadherin-bound form and regulates cell–cell adhesion. In the presence of Wnt signaling (right), β-catenin is uncoupled from the degradation complex and translocates to the nucleus, where it binds transcription factors, thereby activating target genes
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Schematic of crosstalk between the Wnt and Notch pathways and their function in regulating EPSCs during wound healing. Wnt and Notch signaling can affect the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of EPSCs, as well as HF regeneration by targeting c-Myc and Hes1, which ultimately lead to enhanced or delayed wound healing. The interaction between the Wnt and Notch pathways plays a vital role in wound healing, and jagged1 is the key mediator in this crosstalk
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Potential uses of EPCs in the treatment of skin wounds and regeneration of other epithelia in the body
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Proksch Ehrhardt, Brandner Johanna M., Jensen Jens-Michael. The skin: an indispensable barrier. Experimental Dermatology. 2008;17(12):1063–1072. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0625.2008.00786.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kasuya A, Tokura Y. Attempts to accelerate wound healing. J Dermatol Sci. 2014;76:169–172. doi: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2014.11.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sorg H, Tilkorn DJ, Hager S, Hauser J, Mirastschijski U. Skin wound healing: an update on the current knowledge and concepts. Eur Surg Res. 2017;58:81–94. doi: 10.1159/000454919. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wang ZL, He RZ, Tu B, He JS, Cao X, Xia HS, Ba HL, Wu S, Peng C, Xiong K. Drilling combined with adipose-derived stem cells and bone morphogenetic protein-2 to treat femoral head epiphyseal necrosis in juvenile rabbits. Curr Med Sci. 2018;38:277–288. doi: 10.1007/s11596-018-1876-3. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Teng M, Huang Y, Zhang H. Application of stems cells in wound healing--an update. Wound Repair Regen. 2014;22:151–160. doi: 10.1111/wrr.12152. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types