Scientists re-evaluate marrow/skin relationship

National report-- The contribution of bone marrow-derived cells in responding to acute injury to the skin has long been known, but the focus on inflammatory markers has resulted in a skewed sense of the marrow's total contribution to the skin niche, says Frank Isik, M.D., a researcher and professor of plastic surgery at the University of Washington. New tools that allow scientists to better track the movement of cells from bone marrow to the periphery are leading to a reevaluation of the marrow/skin relationship, he says.