Retinoic Acids Shift Skin Stem Cell Fate

    June 2026 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”
    Hideyuki Kosumi, Connie Rim, Mayumi Ito
    TLDR Retinoic acids temporarily change skin stem cells to a slower cycle and more differentiated state.
    The study by Dumrongphuttidecha et al. (2026) investigates the effects of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) on skin stem cells, revealing that ATRA treatment induces a shift in fast-cycling epithelial stem cells towards a slow-cycling phenotype in both mice and human keratinocytes. This shift is characterized by changes in gene expression and increased differentiation, with fast-cycling stem cells beginning to express markers typical of slow-cycling cells. The effects of ATRA are transient, as stem cells revert to their original state once treatment ceases. The research highlights the complex role of retinoic acids in regulating stem cell behavior and suggests potential implications for therapeutic applications in skin and other tissues.
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