Molecular Dermatology: Methods and Protocols

The skin is the largest organ in the body and plays important roles in protection from a
variety of environmental insults as well as in the control of temperature and water balance,
defense from external insults, sensation, and physical communication. The rapid development
of novel methodologies has allowed scientists to achieve significant progress in our
understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control skin physiology and its
contribution to cutaneous pathologies. This volume offers readers an opportunity to learn
about and use the most important laboratory techniques that underlie dermatological
investigation and includes in situ, in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models of skin and its
appendages. Moreover, in recent years, investigative dermatology has been revolutionized
by the establishment of unique techniques that unravel epigenetic mechanisms in skin cells,
such as gene organization in the nucleus and gene expression regulation by the non-coding
transcriptome, and such techniques are included in this volume. Lastly, we include several
methodologies for mimicking or modulating skin pathologies such as wound healing, skin
cancer, hair follicle disorders, and effects of visible light (photobiomodulation). This volume
will be an essential resource for researchers working in the areas of fundamental as well as
applied dermatological science.