Major advancements in skin cell research

Scientists have discovered how certain cells control transcription factors to avoid premature differentiation, as reported today by Sciencedaily.com.  What does this mean?

"In short," said George L. Sen, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and cellular and molecular medicine, "the exosome functions as a surveillance system in cells to regulate the normal turnover of RNAs as well as to destroy RNAs with errors in them."
Sen and colleagues Devendra S. Mistry, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow, and staff scientist Yifang Chen, MD, PhD, discovered that in the epidermis the exosome functions to target and destroy mRNAs that encode for transcription factors that induce differentiation.

The findings provide new insights into the role and importance of exosomes (a fragment of exogenous DNA that, when taken up by a cell, is not readily integrated into the chromosome but can replicate, and be expressed) and their targeted gene transcripts, and may help point the way to new drugs or therapies for not just skin diseases, but other disorders in which stem and progenitor cell populations are affected. This is truly a magnificant discovery.


Stem cells, of course, are specialized cells capable of endlessly replicating to become any type of cell needed, a process known as differentiation.

Throughout life, human skin self-renews. Progenitor and stem cells deep in the epidermis constantly produce new skin cells called keratinocytes (Keratinocyte is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, constituting 95% of the cells found there) that gradually rise to the surface where they will be sloughed off. One of the ways that stem and progenitor cells maintain internal health during their lives is through the exosome -- a collection of approximately 11 proteins responsible for degrading and recycling different RNA elements, such as messenger RNA that wear out or that contain errors resulting in the translation of dysfunctional proteins which could potentially be deleterious to the cell.


"Without a functioning exosome in progenitor cells," said Sen, "the progenitor cells prematurely differentiate due to increased levels of GRHL3 resulting in loss of epidermal tissue over time."

Sen said the findings could have particular relevance if future research determines that mutations in exosome genes are linked to skin disorders or other diseases. "Recently there was a study showing that recessive mutations in a subunit of the exosome complex can lead to pontocerebellar hypoplasia, a rare neurological disorder characterized by impaired development or atrophy of parts of the brain," said Sen.

I will be looking into the amazing world of age-defying drugs and research over the next week. That will, in my opinion, change the world whether we like it or not.  If you don't believe in it, buckle up, it's real and might be on the shelves sooner thatn you think.

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It's the weekend baby, enjoy :)