Niche interactions in epidermal stem cells

Within the epidermis and dermis of the skin, cellssecrete and are surrounded by the extracellular matrix（ECM）, which provides structural and biochemicalsupport. The ECM of the epidermis is the basementmembrane, and collagen and other dermal componentsconstitute the ECM of the dermis. There is significantvariation in the composition of the ECM of the epidermisand dermis, which can affect ＂cell to cell＂ and ＂cellto ECM＂ interactions. These interactions, in turn, caninfluence biological responses, aging, and woundhealing; abnormal ECM signaling likely contributes toskin diseases. Thus, strategies for manipulating cell-ECM interactions are critical for treating wounds and avariety of skin diseases. Many of these strategies focuson epidermal stem cells, which reside in a unique nichein which the ECM is the most important component;interactions between the ECM and epidermal stemcells play a major role in regulating stem cell fate. Asthey constitute a major portion of the ECM, it is likelythat integrins and type Ⅳ collagens are important instem cell regulation and maintenance. In this review,we highlight recent research-including our previouswork-exploring the role that the ECM and its associatedcomponents play in shaping the epidermal stem cellniche.