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New type of pluripotent cell discovered in adult breast tissue: Human body carries personalized 'patch kit'

(Medical Xpress)—UC San Francisco researchers have found that certain rare cells extracted from adult breast tissue can be instructed to become different types of cells – a discovery that could have important ...

Medical research created Mar 05, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Immune cells that suppress genital herpes infections identified

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington scientists have identified a class of immune cells that reside long-term in the genital skin and mucosa and are believed to be responsible for suppressing ...

Immunology created May 08, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Scientists create personalized bone substitutes from skin cells

A team of New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute scientists report today the generation of patient-specific bone substitutes from skin cells for repair of large bone defects. The study, led by Darja Marolt, ...

Medical research created May 06, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Transplanted brain cells in monkeys light up personalized therapy

For the first time, scientists have transplanted neural cells derived from a monkey's skin into its brain and watched the cells develop into several types of mature brain cells, according to the authors of ...

Medical research created Mar 14, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Using human brain cells to make mice smarter

Glial cells – a family of cells found in the human central nervous system and, until recently, considered mere "housekeepers" – now appear to be essential to the unique complexity of the human brain. Scientists reached ...

Medical research created Mar 07, 2013 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Researchers utilize genetically corrected stem cells to spark muscle regeneration

Researchers at the University of Minnesota's Lillehei Heart Institute have combined genetic repair with cellular reprogramming to generate stem cells capable of muscle regeneration in a mouse model for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ...

Medical research created Mar 05, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

First evidence that obesity gene is risk factor for melanoma

The gene most strongly linked to obesity and overeating may also increase the risk of malignant melanoma – the most deadly skin cancer, reveals research published in Nature Genetics.

Genetics created Mar 04, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New study opens door to multipronged attack against skin common cancer

Hailed as a major step forward in the effort to develop targeted cancer therapies, a recently approved drug for the most common type of skin cancer has been a mixed blessing for patients. Although the initial response is ...

Cancer created Feb 27, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists develop new therapeutics that could accelerate wound healing

(Medical Xpress)—In "before" and "after" photos from advertisements for wound-healing ointments, bandages and antibiotic creams, we see an injury transformed from an inflamed red gash to smooth and flawless ...

Medical research created Feb 20, 2013 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (8) | comments 2 | with audio podcast

Sorting out stroking sensations: Biologists find individual neurons in the skin that react to massage

The skin is a human being's largest sensory organ, helping to distinguish between a pleasant contact, like a caress, and a negative sensation, like a pinch or a burn. Previous studies have shown that these ...

Neuroscience created Jan 30, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Patients' skin cells transformed into heart cells to create 'disease in a dish'

Researchers use skin cells from patients with an inherited heart condition to recreate the adult-onset disease in a laboratory dish—producing the first maturation-based disease model for testing new therapies.

Medical research created Jan 27, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

What causes hot flushes during menopause? Research could lead to improved therapy

(Medical Xpress)—Hot flushes are not "in the head," but new research suggests they may start there. A UA research team has identified a region in the brain that may trigger the uncomfortable surges of heat ...

Medical research created Dec 11, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists discover master regulator of skin development

The surface of your skin, called the epidermis, is a complex mixture of many different cell types—each with a very specific job. The production, or differentiation, of such a sophisticated tissue requires an immense amount ...

Medical research created Dec 02, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Research breakthrough could halt melanoma metastasis

In laboratory experiments, scientists have eliminated metastasis, the spread of cancer from the original tumor to other parts of the body, in melanoma by inhibiting a protein known as melanoma differentiation associated gene-9 ...

Cancer created Nov 14, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers identify unexpected bottleneck in the spread of herpes simplex virus

New research suggests that just one or two individual herpes virus particles attack a skin cell in the first stage of an outbreak, resulting in a bottleneck in which the infection may be vulnerable to medical ...

Medical research created Nov 05, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (6) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Skin

The skin is the outer covering of the body. In humans, it is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of mesodermal tissues, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs. Skin of a different nature exists in amphibians, reptiles, birds. Human skin is not unlike that of most other mammals except that it is not protected by a pelt and appears hairless though in fact nearly all human skin is covered with hair follicles. The adjective cutaneous literally means "of the skin" (from Latin cutis, skin).

Because it interfaces with the environment, skin plays a key role in protecting (the body) against pathogens and excessive water loss. Its other functions are insulation, temperature regulation, sensation, synthesis of vitamin D, and the protection of vitamin B folates. Severely damaged skin will try to heal by forming scar tissue. This is often discolored and depigmented.

In humans, skin pigmentation varies among populations, and skin type can range from dry to oily. Such skin variety provides a rich and diverse habit for bacteria which number roughly a 1000 species from 19 phyla.

For more information about Skin, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Related topics: stem cells , cells , genes , skin cancer , skin cells