Effects of niche topography on human keratinocytic stem cells using 3D bioprinted collagen scaffolds
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
As a highly regenerative organ, the skin has a network of epidermal stem cells responsible for maintaining the functions. These stem cells reside in a niche in the basal layer of the epidermis that provide a microenvironment to support optimal cell functioning. Undulating microstructures found at the junction of the dermal-epidermal junctions, known as rete ridges, serves at the niche for epidermal stem cells. Aging and various inflammatory skin conditions are known to cause modulations in rete ridges, resulting in dysregulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. This leads to the question if changes in the niche topography drive altered stem cell behavior, or vice versa? Through developing an ex vivo model of human skin containing anatomically correct rete ridges structures using 3D bioprinting, this study focuses on the observing the mutualistic dependency between the stem cell niche and resident cell behavior. Observations from this study conclude that physical cues provided by the rete ridge architecture significantly influenced keratinocyte behavior by inducing activation of keratinocytic stem cells and inducing stem-related biomarkers of mature keratinocytes. Overall, the findings of this study provide a model useful in exploring various skin conditions and potentially developing therapies focused on restoring epidermal homeostasis and stem cell functioning.
Description
2025