1.Cux1+ proliferative basal cells promote epidermal hyperplasia in chronic dry skin disease identified by single-cell RNA transcriptomics
Minhua HUANG ; Ning HUA ; Siyi ZHUANG ; Qiuyuan FANG ; Jiangming SHANG ; Zhen WANG ; Xiaohua TAO ; Jianguo NIU ; Xiangyao LI ; Peilin YU ; Wei YANG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2023;13(7):745-759
Pathological dry skin is a disturbing and intractable healthcare burden,characterized by epithelial hy-perplasia and severe itch.Atopic dermatitis(AD)and psoriasis models with complications of dry skin have been studied using single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq).However,scRNA-seq analysis of the dry skin mouse model(acetone/ether/water(AEW)-treated model)is still lacking.Here,we used scRNA-seq and in situ hybridization to identify a novel proliferative basal cell(PBC)state that exclusively expresses transcription factor CUT-like homeobox 1(Cux1).Further in vitro study demonstrated that Cux1 is vital for keratinocyte proliferation by regulating a series of cyclin-dependent kinases(CDKs)and cyclins.Clinically,Cux1+PBCs were increased in patients with psoriasis,suggesting that Cux1+ PBCs play an important part in epidermal hyperplasia.This study presents a systematic knowledge of the tran-scriptomic changes in a chronic dry skin mouse model,as well as a potential therapeutic target against dry skin-related dermatoses.