Skin Diseases and Cutaneous Biology Research Laboratory

Research Team
Jie Li, M.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Yan Ping Zhang, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Associate

Our laboratory uses advanced cellular, molecular biology techniques and animal models to study the mechanisms of various skin related problems. Our current on-going researches involve following studies:

1. The role of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, laminin 8 and laminin 10, in the integrin signaling in skin epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts and blood vessel endothelial cells.
2. The functions of ECM and growth factors in regulating cell attachment, migration, terminal differentiation, skin homeostasis and wound repair.
3. The role of ECM and growth factors in regulating ECM deposition, dermal fibrosis and wound healing.
4. Skin tissue engineering and wound repair.
5. Dermal endothelial cell biology, angiogenesis and tumor angiogenesis as well as human skin disorders involving angiogenesis, i.e. psoriasis, dermatitis (atopic, contact), hemangioma and Kaposi's sarcoma.
6. The correlation of laminin 10 expression with the progress of malignant skin tumors of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
7. Gene regulation in hair follicle development and alopecia.

Immunofluorescent staining in human skin. Laminin alpha 5 expressed positive in both dermal-epidermal junction and dermal blood vessels.