Dermal Cell News Volume 1.02 | May 25 2015

Lack of Collagen VI Promotes Wound-Induced Hair Growth
Scientists showed that collagen VI is strongly deposited in hair follicles, and dramatically upregulated by skin wounding. [J Invest Dermatol] Abstract

JAM-A Promotes Wound Healing by Enhancing Both Homing and Secretion Activities of Mesenchymal Stem Cells
In in vivo experiments, investigators showed that junction adhesion molecule A (JAM-A) up-regulation promoted both mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) homing to full-thickness skin wounds and wound healing-related cytokine secretion by MSCs. [Clin Sci (Lond)] Abstract

The Galvanotactic Migration of Keratinocytes Is Enhanced by Hypoxic Preconditioning
The authors showed that the galvanotactic migration of keratinocytes was enhanced by hypoxia preconditioning as a result of the increased directionality rather than the increased motility of keratinocytes. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Use of Clotted Human Plasma and Aprotinin in Skin Tissue Engineering – a Novel Approach to Engineering Composite Skin on a Porous Scaffold
Scientists developed a method to enable the in vitro production of a human skin equivalent that included a porous scaffold and dermal and epidermal cells expanded ex vivo, with the potential to be used for definitive treatment of skin defects in a single procedure. [Tissue Eng Part C Methods] Abstract

Numb Expression Contributes to the Maintenance of an Undifferentiated State in Human Epidermis
Scientists investigated the role of Numb in the skin compartment and, in particular, its involvement in stem cell maintenance. They demonstrated that Numb in high proliferating epithelial undifferentiated progenitors contributes to the maintenance of an undifferentiated state. [Cell Transplant] Article

Dynamic Expression of Novel MiRNA Candidates and MiRNA-34 Family Members in Early- to Mid-Gestational Fetal Keratinocytes Contributes to Scarless Wound Healing by Targeting the TGF-β Pathway
A total of 110 miRNAs, including 22 novel miRNA candidates, were significantly differently expressed between mid- and late-gestational fetal KCs. Thirty-three differentially expressed miRNAs and miR-34 family members are correlated with the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway. [PLoS One] Full Article

SKIN CANCERS AND DISORDERS

Inactivation of a Gα_s–PKA Tumor Suppressor Pathway in Skin Stem Cells Initiates Basal-Cell Carcinogenesis
Researchers explored the role of Gα_s on stem cell fate decisions by using the mouse epidermis as a model system. Conditional epidermal deletion of Gnas or repression of PKA signaling caused a remarkable expansion of the stem cell compartment, resulting in rapid basal-cell carcinoma formation. [Nat Cell Biol] Abstract

Modulation of Radiochemoimmunotherapy-Induced B16 Melanoma Cell Death by the Pan-Caspase Inhibitor zVAD-Fmk Induces Anti-Tumor Immunity in a HMGB1-, Nucleotide- and T-Cell-Dependent Manner
Necroptosis was inducible in poorly immunogenic B16-F10 melanoma cells and zVAD-fmk generally increased melanoma cell necrosis concomitantly with the release of HMGB1. Supernatants of melanoma cells whose cell death was modulated with zVAD-fmk induced an upregulation of the activation markers CD86 and MHCII on macrophages. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

The Pluripotency Factor NANOG Promotes the Formation of Squamous Cell Carcinomas
Scientists showed that inducible overexpression of NANOG in mouse skin epithelia favors the malignant conversion of skin papillomas induced by chemical carcinogenesis, leading to increased squamous cell carcinomas formation. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Identification of DRG-1 As a Melanoma-Associated Antigen Recognized by CD4⁺ Th1 Cells
Researchers describe the identification of developmentally regulated GTP-binding protein 1 (DRG-1) as a melanoma-associated antigen recognized by HLA-DR11-restricted CD4⁺ Th1 cells. [PLoS One] Full Article

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STELARA® Receives CHMP Positive Opinion For Treatment Of Adolescents With Moderate To Severe Psoriasis In Europe
Janssen-Cilag International NV announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion recommending approval for the use of STELARA®, for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adolescent patients from the age of 12 years and older. [Johnson & Johnson] Press Release

Food and Drug Administration (United States)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

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NEW Dermatology Specialty Representative (Celgene Corporation)

Assistant Professor – Instructive Biomaterials Engineering (Maastricht University)

Professor – Dermatology (University of Wisconsin – Madison)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Epidermal Growth, Inflammation and Carcinogenesis (Duke University School of Medicine)

Chair of the Department of Dermatology (University of California, Davis)

Faculty Positions – Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine (University of Texas Medical School at Houston)

Postdoctoral Positions – Molecular Cancer Biology (University of Pennsylvania)

PhD Position – Decoding Gene Regulation in Cancer (University of Leuven)

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