Proteins in Skin Stem Cell Helps It Regenerate

We know that the cells in our face and skin can only regenerate so many times. We see it on our wrinkles and fine lines, and that’s why we use facial care products religiously, and we maintain healthy habits, to keep our face and skin as subtle and young as much as we can.

It’s known that stem cells found within the skin do create new cells, replenish themselves and continually rejuvenate skin and hair. Well, a new study published in Nature Genetics discovered the very proteins – TCF3 and TCF4 – that are doing the job of continually renewing skin stem cells.

The study, done in mice, showed that skin stem cells that lost TCF3 and TCF4 lost their ability to self-renew and replace skin cells that have died. The skin regenerated only so much until the cells started dying.

The question that researchers want to know is how to keep TCF3 and TCF4 continually supplied into the skin stem cells, therefore letting the cells regenerate itself and grow new skin. Wow, there is so much benefit in this research in helping burn victims grow their skin back, replacing new skin for those who had extensive facial surgeries, and having hair grow back in those who suffer from hair loss.

via Science Daily; Image: Flickr