How skin and breast stem cells stay quiet or become active
Intrinsic and extrinsic control of epithelial tissue stem cell activity
This work looks at the genes and local signals that tell stem cells in skin and the breast when to sleep, grow, or turn into other cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11311837 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective, researchers are using laboratory models of mammary gland and skin to learn how rare basal stem cells are kept inactive or are triggered to divide and make new tissue. They examine both the internal gene programs inside stem cells and the external signals from surrounding tissue that influence cell behavior. The team uses molecular biology and animal tissue models to follow how transcription factors and signaling pathways control activation, proliferation, and cell fate decisions. The goal is to find general rules and tissue-specific differences that could guide future regenerative or cancer-related therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with breast or skin conditions, or healthy volunteers willing to donate tissue samples, would be most relevant to this line of research.
Not a fit: Patients looking for immediate new treatments for advanced disease are unlikely to get direct benefit from this basic laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to boost tissue repair or to prevent abnormal cell behavior that leads to cancers like breast cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Previous lab studies have identified related genes and signaling pathways in mouse and human tissues, but turning those findings into clinical treatments is still at an early stage.
Where this research is happening
Irvine, United States
- University of California-Irvine — Irvine, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dai, Xing — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Dai, Xing
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.