Short RNA strand helps exposed skin cells protect body from bacteria, dehydration and even cancer

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In the outer layer of the skin microRNA-203 helps build a tough protective barrier by repressing the activity of a molecule called p63 (red). When microRNA-203 cant stem p63s activity cells proliferate (bottom) -- findings that may reveal new insight ...
In the outer layer of the skin, microRNA-203 helps build a tough protective barrier by repressing the activity of a molecule called p63 (red). When microRNA-203 can't stem p63's activity, cells proliferate (bottom) -- findings that may reveal new insights about cancer. Credit: The Rockefeller University

Every minute, 30,000 of our outermost skin cells die so that we can live. When they do, new cells migrate from the inner layer of the skin to the surface of it, where they form a tough protective barrier. In a series of elegant experiments in mice, researchers at Rockefeller University have now discovered a tiny RNA molecule that helps create this barrier. The results not only yield new insight into how skin first evolved, but also suggest how healthy cells can turn cancerous.


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