Epidermal stem cells as targets for gene transfer.

One of the characteristics of the epidermis that makes it an attractive tissue for gene therapy is that it is renewed through proliferation of stem cells. If the stem cells can be transduced with the gene of interest then expression of that gene should continue throughout adult life. This article discusses current research on epidermal stem cells, highlighting progress in their identification and in discovering the mechanisms that regulate exit from the stem cell compartment.