Unlocking the healing power of oral keratinocytes

Japanese scientists have made significant progress in understanding the signals involved in regulating oral keratinocyte cell motility and proliferative capacity, offering new insights into potential pharmacological manipulation for regenerative medicine.

Professor Kenji Izumi and his team examined the impact of growth supplements on oral keratinocyte behavior. They discovered that EGF in the supplement significantly affected cell motility and proliferation. This finding indicates the crucial role of EGF in regulating the behavior and quality of oral keratinocytes.

Interestingly, the study also revealed that the STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways, previously thought to be major contributors to oral keratinocyte behavior, showed only minor effects.

Moreover, the researchers observed reciprocal interaction between Src and EGFR in oral keratinocytes. The activation of Src, a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, appeared to transduce signals from various receptors to internal signaling pathways, affecting cellular events such as survival, adhesion, proliferation, and migration. This interaction between Src and EGFR suggests potential upstream signal transduction from Src to the EGF/EGFR axis in oral keratinocytes.

The study investigated the connection between EGFR signaling and E-cadherin expression, a crucial molecule for cell adhesion. The researchers discovered that EGFR and Src suppressed E-cadherin expression, thereby affecting cell migration.

Reference: The EGF/EGFR axis and its downstream signaling pathways regulate the motility and proliferation of cultured oral keratinocytes, FEBS Open Bio, DOI 10.1002/2211-5463.13653