Reference Libraries

Epidermal formation depends on a balance between cell proliferation, differentiation, and death. While deletion of IKKα gene blocks terminal differentiation in mice, biochemical pathways regulating IKKα in epidermis are unknown. Notch receptors regulate cell fate in response to ligands such... Read More

Establishing an effective epidermal barrier requires a series of coordinated molecular events involving keratinocytes (KCs) within a stratified epithelium. Epidermal maturation depends on convergence of pathways involving components of NF-B and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) signaling systems that promote... Read More

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) appears to play an important role in skin carcinogenesis caused by solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR): UVR induces COX-2 expression in human skin, COX-2 activity is upregulated in skin cancers and COX inhibitors reduce UVR-induced tumor formation. In this... Read More

Ironically, the functional integrity of epidermis is dependent on a “planned cell death” pathway by which keratinocytes (KCs) undergo terminal differentiation, and then die producing comeocytes. To explore the molecular basis for crucial steps regulating epidermal KC cell death, normal... Read More

Recently we established that peptides derived from the Notch ligand-Jagged-1 could trigger complete epidermal differentiation using submerged living epidermal equivalents (EEs). Moreover, using a selective inhibitor designed to block Notch receptor activity, epidermal differentiation was also blocked when submerged EEs... Read More