Culturing of Melanocytes from the Equine Hair Follicle Outer Root Sheath

The study successfully adapted a method for culturing human melanocytes to equine melanocytes from the outer root sheath (ORS) of horse hair follicles, using equine serum in the culture medium. The cultured equine melanocytes (eMORS) exhibited typical melanocyte morphology, expressed key melanocytic markers, and produced melanin. The primary culture reached 90% confluence within 2 to 4 weeks, and gene expression analysis showed stable expression of melanocyte markers over multiple passages. This method provided a foundation for further research into equine hair follicle biology and potential applications in regenerative medicine.