Long-Term Expansion and Differentiation of Adult Murine Epidermal Stem Cells in 3D Organoid Cultures

June 2019 in “ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ”

Kim E. Boonekamp, Kai Kretzschmar, Dominique J. Wiener, Priyanca Asra, Sepideh Derakhshan, Jens Puschhof, Carmen López‐Iglesias, Peter J. Peters, Onur Basak, Hans Clevers

epidermal stem cells 3D organoid cultures calcium cAMP FGF R-spondin BMP signaling interfollicular epidermis

TLDR A new 3D culture system helps grow and study mouse skin stem cells for a long time.

The study developed a long-term, feeder- and serum-free 3D organoid culture system for adult murine epidermal stem cells, allowing for stable expansion and differentiation over at least 6 months. This system mimicked the interfollicular epidermis and enabled the study of skin diseases and genetic alterations in vitro. The organoids maintained genomic stability, high proliferative capacity, and were amenable to genetic manipulation, including CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. The research demonstrated the potential of these organoids as a model for studying epidermal biology, genetic modifications, and diseases such as blistering disorders. The study also found that different epidermal stem cell populations could initiate organoid formation, with IFE and infundibular stem cells being more efficient.

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