Polarity in Skin Development and Cancer

Overview

Journal Curr Top Dev Biol

Publisher Elsevier

Specialties Biology
Reproductive Medicine

Date 2023 Apr 26

PMID 37100522

Authors

Alexandra Prado-Mantilla

Terry Lechler

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The epidermis is a stratified squamous epithelium that forms the outermost layer of the skin. Its primary function is to act as a barrier, keeping pathogens and toxins out and moisture in. This physiological role has necessitated major differences in the organization and polarity of the tissue as compared to simple epithelia. We discuss four aspects of polarity in the epidermis - the distinctive polarities of basal progenitor cells as well as differentiated granular cells, the polarity of adhesions and the cytoskeleton across the tissue as keratinocytes differentiate, and the planar cell polarity of the tissue. These distinctive polarities are essential for the morphogenesis and the function of the epidermis and have also been implicated in regulating tumor formation.

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