Polycomb complexes found to be essential for proper skin development
Mount Sinai researchers have discovered that Polycomb complexes, groups of proteins that maintain gene expression patterns, are essential for proper skin development, according to a paper published in
Genes & Development on February 18. This latest discovery could improve development of future stem cell therapies to generate skin on a dish to transplant into burn victims and patients with skin-blistering disorders.
Polycomb complexes are groups of proteins that maintain the gene-expression patterns during early development by regulating the structure of DNA and proteins in cells. They play a critical role in the repression of gene expression, or the switching-off of individual genes to help control responses to changing environments and stimuli.