Feather on the cap of medicine

Abstract

Through cyclic regeneration, feather stem cells are molded into different shapes under different physiological states. With its distinct morphology, context-dependent growth, and experimental manipulability, the feather provides a rich model to study growth control, regeneration, and morphogenesis in vivo. Recent examples include novel insights revealed by transient perturbation with chemotherapeutic reagents and irradiation during feather growth.