General reviews
Cutaneous stem cells
Researches conducted so far have shown that at the skin level there are two main stem cells types, epidermal and melanocyte. To these are added some adipocytes and eccrine sweat gland cells that in some conditions are presenting stem cell characteristics. The stem cells, epidermal and melanocyte are both localized in the infundibular area (niche zone) that ensure an enabling microenvironment through growth factors that maintain stem cells in an undifferentiated status.
The cutaneous stem cells are an important factor in the emergence and development of ageing process, tumoral proliferation as in other pathology developed at the skin level.
Accumulation of knowledge about cutaneous stem cells and their involvement in major pathological processes make them an important target for cutaneous therapy.