Advances in Skin Barrier Dysfunction and Disease Pathogenesis

As an interface with the external environment, the skin is the first line of defense against physical, chemical, and biological insults. Skin regeneration is provided by the proliferation of basal keratinocytes with stem cell properties. As proliferating keratinocytes migrate to the upper layers of the epidermis, they undergo sequential and programmed differentiation, eventually forming the stratum corneum, comprised of terminally differentiated keratinocytes (corneocytes) encased in a lipid-rich extracellular matrix.

The maintenance of cutaneous homeostasis involves a complex interplay of signals among dermal, epidermal, and immune cells, mediated by growth factors, cytokines, and lipid mediators. However, perturbations in this finely tuned system, particularly those affecting keratinocyte differentiation, adhesion, and lipid metabolism—often in an inflamed environment—can compromise the skin's barrier function. This dysfunction is a contributing factor to various skin diseases, highlighting a gap in our comprehensive understanding of these processes and their implications in disease pathogenesis.

This Research Topic aims to bring together advances in the field of skin biology to further elucidate the intricate mechanisms governing the biology of cutaneous cells, particularly how alterations in these processes contribute to skin barrier dysfunction and, consequently, disease.

To gather further insights into pathological skin conditions, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Regulatory mechanisms of keratinocyte differentiation and barrier formation

• Impact of cytokines and lipid mediators on skin barrier integrity

• Role of immune cell interactions in the maintenance and dysfunction of the skin barrier

• Novel therapeutic approaches targeting barrier dysfunction in skin pathologies

By focusing on these areas, we hope to contribute to a deeper understanding of the skin's barrier functions and its disruptions, potentially opening pathways for advanced therapeutic solutions.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: skin homeostasis, barrier function, inflammation, bioactive mediators, skin diseases

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.