Understanding Human Epidermal Stem Cells at Single-Cell Resolution

The human epidermis is one of the first tissues in which the existence of stem cells was recognized and is one of the few in which ex vivo expansion for tissue repair is established clinically. Nevertheless, the nature of stem cells has been elusive. Using clonal growth assays of cultured keratinocytes as a quantitative measure of their abundance, several candidate stem cell markers have been described. Recently, the volume and quality of single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets have increased exponentially, providing new opportunities to explore the nature of epidermal stem cells and test the validity of in vitro experimental models.

Automated summary

This article discusses the existence of human epidermal stem cells and their clinical application in ex vivo expansion for tissue repair. It also mentions the increasing availability of single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets, which provides new opportunities for studying the nature of epidermal stem cells and testing in vitro experimental models.