Oral Mucosal Keratinocyte Stem Cells

Abstract Oral mucosa is composed of highly-regenerative stratified epithelium and submucosal connective tissue, which demonstrate accelerated epithelial turnover and scarless wound healing when compared with epidermis. This robust healing potential may represent the inherent regenerative capacity of oral keratinocyte stem cell (OKSCs). As such, oral mucosa may offer unique opportunities to enrich or isolate KSCs suitable for epithelial tissue engineering for large epithelial defects. Numerous molecular and phenotypic markers of KSCs have been reported to date, and they aid in the enrichment of KSCs from primary tissues. Studies have succeeded in demonstrating epithelial regeneration in non-oral tissues, e.g., cornea, using oral mucosal epithelium and scaffold. Thus, the potential for clinical application of OKSCs for tissue regeneration is immense. However, further research is required to delineate the mechanisms that regulate regenerative or differentiation capacities of OKSCs. In this chapter, we will review the current state of KSC technology in human oral mucosa, and the molecular mechanisms regulating replication and differentiation of NHOK, with emphasis on the role of GRHL2.