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Beyond acne: Current aspects of sebaceous gland biology and function

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Abstract

The sebaceous gland is most commonly found in association with a hair follicle. Its traditional function is the holocrine production of sebum, a complex mixture of lipids, cell debris, and other rather poorly characterized substances. Due to the gland’s central role in acne pathogenesis, early research had focused on its lipogenic activity. Less studied aspects of the sebaceous gland, such as stem cell biology, the regulation of cellular differentiation by transcription factors, the significance of specific lipid fractions, the endocrine and specially the neuroendocrine role of the sebaceous gland, and its contribution to the innate immunity, the detoxification of the skin, and skin aging have only recently attracted the attention of researchers from different disciplines. Here, we summarize recent multidisciplinary progress in sebaceous gland research and discuss how sebaceous gland research may stimulate the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting specific molecular pathways of the pathogenesis of skin diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Dermatology, Venereology, Allergology and Immunology, Dessau Medical Center, Auenweg 38, 06847, Dessau, Germany

    Christos C. Zouboulis

  2. San Gallicano Dermatologic Institute, IRCCS, Rome, Italy

    Mauro Picardo

  3. Department of Dermatology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Qiang Ju

  4. Department of Dermatology, Meiwa Hospital, Nishinomiya, Japan

    Ichiro Kurokawa

  5. Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary

    Dániel Törőcsik

  6. Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary

    Tamás Bíró

  7. Institute of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany

    Marlon R. Schneider

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  1. Christos C. Zouboulis
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  2. Mauro Picardo
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  3. Qiang Ju
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  4. Ichiro Kurokawa
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  5. Dániel Törőcsik
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  6. Tamás Bíró
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  7. Marlon R. Schneider
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Correspondence to Christos C. Zouboulis.

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Zouboulis, C.C., Picardo, M., Ju, Q. et al. Beyond acne: Current aspects of sebaceous gland biology and function. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 17, 319–334 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11154-016-9389-5

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