The dermis is very thick on palms and soles
Answers
Explanation:
An inherited form of esophageal cancer, called 'Tylosis', causes thickening of the palms and soles that is so severe that patients sometimes have to shave off piles of hard skin with a razor.
The gene causing the disease, iRHOM2, was found to play an important role in the thickness of the skin of the palms and soles by controlling Keratin, the most abundant component of the skin.
The researchers found that mice with iRHOM2 genes that were knocked out had abnormally thin paw skin, while humans with increased iRHOM2 had thickened palms and soles with callouses, and intriguingly these patients also develop esophageal cancer.
The research, published in Nature Communications, could lead to a new target in the treatment of esophageal cancer and insights into skin conditions such as psoriasis and skin cancer. It also at last explains why the skin on our palms and soles is much thicker than the skin on other parts of our bodies and so uniquely adapted to withstand high pressure and physical stress.