Skin cell adhesion: mechanisms and molecules

Dr Arturo Puig, Anna Montero – Lipotec SA, Spain

The aim of this article is to offer a general overview of the mechanisms and molecules involved in maintaining the structure of the skin by modulating the adhesion of skin cells with each other and with other supporting structures.

The study of the mechanisms of skin ageing has traditionally overlooked an important area: the dermo-epidermal junction (DEJ), a basement membrane that separates the epidermis and its appendages from the dermis, provides anchorage for adjacent basal keratinocytes and acts as a barrier to the transfer of material and cells across the junction.1