Sweat Gland Regeneration: Basic Scientific Problems and Possible Technical Approaches

  • Sha Huang
  • Sa Cai
  • Xiaoyan Sun
  • Cuiping Zhang
  • Zhiyong Sheng
  • Xiaobing Fu
Chapter

Abstract

The term ‘sweat gland regeneration’ refers to a new and expanding field in regenerative medicine research that focuses on the development of innovative therapies allowing the body to replace, restore and regenerate damaged or diseased sweat gland cells and tissues. It combines basic scientific theory and technological approaches including dedifferentiation, biomaterials, tissue engineering, stem cell transplantation and the reprogramming of cell and tissue types. Because of its importance for skin reconstitution in patients suffering from chronic wounds and extensive burns, sweat gland regeneration is becoming an rapidly developing field in regenerative medicine.

Keywords

Sweat gland Regenerative medicine Stem cells Tissue engineering 

Notes

Acknowledgments

These works were supported in part by the National Basic Science and Development Programme (973 Programme, 2005CB522603, 2012CB518105) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30730090 and 81121004).

References

  1. 1.
    Cai S, Fu XB, Sheng ZY. Dedifferentiation: a new approach in stem cell research. Bioscience. 2007;57:8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    Fu XB, Li JF, Sun XQ, Sun TZ, Sheng ZY. Epidermal stem cells are the source of sweat glands in human fetal skin: evidence of synergetic development of stem cells, sweat glands, growth factors, and matrix metalloproteinases. Wound Repair Regen. 2005;13:102.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Fu XB, Sun XQ, Li XK, Sheng ZY. Dedifferentiation of epidermal cells to stem cells in vivo. Lancet. 2001;358:1067.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Li HH, Fu XB, Lei Z, Sun TZ, Wang J. In vivo dedifferentiation of human epidermal cells. Cell Biol Int. 2007;31:1436.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Zhang CP, Fu XB, Chen P, Bao XD, Li F, Sun XY, Lei YH, Cai S, Sun TZ, Sheng ZY. Dedifferentiation-derived cells exhibit phenotypic and functional characteristics of epidermal stem cells. J Cell Mol Med. 2009;14:1135.PubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Fu XB, Shen ZY, Chen YL, Xie JH, Guo ZR, Zhang ML, Sheng ZY. Randomised placebo-controlled trial of use of topical recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor for second-degree burns. Lancet. 1998;352:1661.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Sun XY, Fu XB, Han WD, Zhao YL, Liu HL, Sheng ZY. Dedifferentiation of human terminally differentiating keratinocytes into their precursor cells induced by basic fibroblast growth factor. Biol Pharm Bull. 2011;34:1037.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  8. 8.
    Cai S, Pan Y, Fu XB, Lei YH, Sun TZ, Wang J, Sheng ZY. Dedifferentiation of human epidermal keratinocytes induced by UV in vitro. J Health Sci. 2009;55:11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. 9.
    Zhang CP, Chen P, Lei YH, Liu B, Ma K, Fu XB, Zhao Z, Sun TZ, Sheng ZY. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is critical for dedifferentiation of aged epidermal cells in vivo and in vitro. Aging Cell. 2011;11:14–23.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  10. 10.
    Sun XY, Fu XB, Han WD, Zhao YL, Liu HL. Can controlled cellular reprogramming be achieved using microRNAs? Ageing Res Rev. 2010;9:475.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Li JF, Fu XB, Sheng ZY. The interaction between epidermal growth factor and matrix metalloproteinases induces the development of sweat glands in human fetal skin. J Surg Res. 2002;106:258–63.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Fu XB, Qu ZL, Sheng ZY. Potentiality of mesenchymal stem cells in regeneration of sweat glands. J Surg Res. 2006;136:204–8.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    Li HH, Fu XB, Zhang L, Zhou G. Comparison of proliferating cells between human adult and fetal eccrine sweat glands. Arch Dermatol Res. 2008;300:173–6.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Li HH, Zhou G, Fu XB, Zhang L, Sun TZ. Antigen expression of human eccrine sweat glands. J Cutane Pathol. 2009;36:318–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. 15.
    Li HH, Fu XB, Ouyang YS, Cai CL, Wang J, Sun TZ. Adult bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells contribute to wound healing of skin appendages. Cell Tissue Res. 2006;326:725–36.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  16. 16.
    Sheng ZY, Fu XB, Cai S, Lei YH, Sun TZ, Bai XD, Chen ML. Regeneration of functional sweat gland-like structures by transplanted differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Wound Rep Reg. 2009;17:427–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    Huang S, Xu Y, Wu C, Sha D, Fu XB. In vitro constitution and in vivo implantation of engineered skin constructs with sweat glands. Biomaterials. 2010;31:5520–5.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Karbanová J, Missol-Kolka E, Fonseca AV, Lorra C, Janich P, et al. The stem cell marker CD133 (prominin-1) is expressed in various human glandular epithelia. J Histochem Cytochem. 2008;56:977–93.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Nakamura M, Tokura Y. The localization of label-retaining cells in eccrine glands. J Invest Dermatol. 2009;129:2077–8.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  20. 20.
    Ohyama M. Hair follicle bulge: a fascinating reservoir of epithelial stem cells. J Dermatol Sci. 2007;46:81–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  21. 21.
    Taylor G, Lehrer MS, Jensen PJ, Sun TT, Lavker RM. Involvement of follicular stem cells in forming not only the follicle but the epidermis. Cell. 2000;102:451–61.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  22. 22.
    Biedermann T, Pontiggia L, Böttcher-Haberzeth S, Tharakan S, Braziulis E, et al. Human eccrine sweat gland cells can reconstitute a stratified epidermis. J Invest Dermatol. 2010;130:1996–2009.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  23. 23.
    Fusenig NE. Epithelial–mesenchymal interactions regulate keratinocyte growth and differentiation in vitro. In: Leigh I, Lane B, Watt F, editors. The keratinocyte handbook. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1994. p. 71–97.Google Scholar
  24. 24.
    Andriani F, Margulis A, Lin N, Griffey S, Garlick JA. Analysis of microenvironmental factors contributing to basement membrane assembly and normalized epidermal phenotype. J Invest Dermatol. 2003;120:923–31.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  25. 25.
    Berking C, Herlyn M. Human skin reconstruct models: a new application for studies of melanocyte and melanoma biology. Histol Histopathol. 2001;16:669–74.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  26. 26.
    Blecher SR, Kapalanga J, Lalonde D. Induction of sweat glands by epidermal growth factor in murine X-linked anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Nature. 1990;345:542–4.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  27. 27.
    Fu X. Regenerative medicine research in China: demands and practice. Regenerative medicine in China. Science. 2012;336(6080):3.Google Scholar
  28. 28.
    Huang S, Tang L, Fu X. Artificial skin as a sweat gland regeneration matrix. Regenerative medicine in China. Science. 2012;336(6080):42.Google Scholar
  29. 29.
    Fu X, Sheng Z. Functional sweat gland regeneration: preliminary success but still a long way to go. Regenerative medicine in China. Science. 2012;336(6080):46.Google Scholar
  30. 30.
    Huang S, Yao B, Xie J, et al. 3D bioprinted extracellular matrix mimics facilitate directed differentiation of epithelial progenitors for sweat gland regeneration. Acta Biomater. 2016;32:170–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  31. 31.
    Huang S, Fu XB. Stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine in China. Sci China Life Sci. 2014;57(2):157–61.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  32. 32.
    Sa Cai, Pan Yu, Xiaoyan Sun, et al. Dedifferentiation: a new approach skin regeneration. Science. 2012;336(6080):58.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Sha Huang
    • 1
  • Sa Cai
    • 2
  • Xiaoyan Sun
    • 1
  • Cuiping Zhang
    • 2
  • Zhiyong Sheng
    • 2
  • Xiaobing Fu
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.The College of Life SciencesChinese PLA General Hospital, Chinese PLA Medical CollegeBeijingPeople’s Republic of China
  2. 2.The First Affiliated HospitalChinese PLA General HospitalBeijingPeople’s Republic of China

Personalised recommendations