# Regulatory Functions of the Differentiated Epidermis

> **NIH NIH R01** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $464,316

## Abstract

Abstract
The epidermis forms an essential barrier to the outside world. To accomplish this, it contains
proliferative stem cells that replenish the tissue, giving rise to differentiated cells that form a
functional barrier. We have found that the differentiated cells of the epidermis play an important
role in regulating the behavior of their parental stem cells, making them not only descents of the
stem cells but part of their regulatory niche. Moreover, the mechanical status of differentiated
cells, namely their contractility, is a strong input into multiple aspects of epidermal stem cell
behavior, including proliferation, migration, and cell fate decisions. Here we seek to define the
pathways, both mechanical and chemical, by which differentiated epidermal cells control both
stem cell behavior and skin physiology. Defining the niche components and the mechanisms by
which they influence epidermal stem cell behavior is essential to allow manipulation of stem cells
for regenerative therapies and/or treatment of diseases that result from stem cell dysregulation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10466459
- **Project number:** 1R01AR081081-01
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Terry H Lechler
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $464,316
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-05-15 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10466459

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10466459, Regulatory Functions of the Differentiated Epidermis (1R01AR081081-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10466459. Licensed CC0.

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