中文摘要：

哺乳动物表皮中包含有多种不同类型的表皮干细胞，它们共同维持了表皮组织结构的稳态并在皮肤创伤的修复中起重要作用。表皮干细胞具备干细胞两大基本特征：自我更新和分化，两者间平衡的破坏通常是皮肤肿瘤和其他皮肤疾病的根源。文章着重叙述了表皮干细胞存在的证据、两大基本特征、分裂模式、调节表皮干细胞的信号通路以及维持其稳态的微观和宏观环境。

英文摘要：

Mammalian skin epidermis contains different epidermal stem cell pools which contribute to the homeostasis and repair of skin epithelium. Epidermal stem cells possess two essential features common to all stem cells： self-renewal and differentiation. Disturbing the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of epidermal stem cell often causes tumors or other skin diseases. Epidermal stem cell niches provide a special microenvironment that maintains a balance of stem cell quiescence and activity. This review primarily concentrates on the following points of the epidermal stem cells： the existing evidences, the self-renewal and differentiation, the division pattern, the signal pathways regulating self-renewal and differentiation, and the microenvironment （niche） and macroenvironment maintaining the homeostasis of stem cells.