Summary of the science
Stem cells are like the building blocks of our body. They have the incredible ability to develop into any type of cell and help create all the tissues and organs as we grow. During development, they make sure our tissues and organs form properly. In everyday life, they continue to work by keeping our body in balance- the scientific word for this is homeostasis. Whenever tissues are damaged or injured, stem cells are responsible for replacing the damaged or depleted cells. When stem cell division is not regulated properly, they can start dividing and multiplying uncontrollably, leading to the formation of a tumour (cancer).
About the research
The Blanplain lab focuses on studying stem cells and their role in tissue development, maintenance, and regeneration. Stem cells possess the unique ability to self-renew and differentiate into various cell types within their respective tissues. The lab utilises a multidisciplinary approach to identify and investigate stem cells in different tissues (e.g. skin epidermis) during development, homeostasis, and repair. One of their findings concluded that basal cell carcinomas arise from long-lived stem cells of the interfollicular epidermis and infundibulum and not from hair follicle stem cells as previously thought.
About the illustration
Although the Blanpain lab look at lots of different tissues, they focus primarily on the skin epidermis, so we decided to draw a section of skin during homeostasis. The cells in black represent the outer root sheath, whereas the white cells represent the cells of the sebaceous gland.