nail bed keratinocyte
nail bed keratinocyte
A keratinocyte that resides in the nail bed, responsible for tightly attaching the nail plate to the underlying dermis. Unlike typical epidermal keratinocytes, it exhibits limited proliferation, undergoes modified differentiation that skips the granular layer and conventional cornification, and primarily ensures adhesion and maintenance of the nail plate. In humans, this cell expresses characteristic markers, including the protease inhibitor SPINK6 and the differentiation-associated protein KRT16.