[Molecular basis of pigmentation disorders in skin diseases].

Skin disorders connected with pigmentation disturbances are most frequent dermatological problems. Different mechanisms are involved in these changes, mainly those which regulate melanocyte function. In this work we focused on molecular basis of pigmentation disorders in dermatological diseases that present clinically with hyperpigmentation (lentigo senilis, Riehl melanosis, seborrhoic keratosis, fibroma, café-au-lait patches melasma, atopic dermatitis) or hypopigmentation (vitiligo, albinism).

Mesenchymal stem cells: characteristics and clinical applications.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are bone marrow populating cells, different from hematopoietic stem cells, which possess an extensive proliferative potential and ability to differentiate into various cell types, including: osteocytes, adipocytes, chondrocytes, myocytes, cardiomyocytes and neurons. MSCs play a key role in the maintenance of bone marrow homeostasis and regulate the maturation of both hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells. The cells are characterized by the expression of numerous surface antigens, but none of them appears to be exclusively expressed on MSCs.