Differentiation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into a Multipotent Keratinocyte Lineage

In the 2011 study, researchers successfully differentiated mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into a keratinocyte lineage, which are cells that make up the outer layer of the skin. This was achieved through a process involving retinoic acid, bone-morphogenetic protein-4, and growth on collagen IV-coated plates. The iPSC-derived keratinocytes were shown to be functional and capable of regenerating a complete epidermis, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands when transplanted into a living organism. These iPSC-derived keratinocytes exhibited gene and protein expression profiles similar to primary keratinocytes and could differentiate in vitro as well as reconstitute normal skin and its appendages in vivo. This advancement suggests the potential for using genetically corrected autologous iPSCs as a permanent treatment for various genetic skin diseases, although no specific number of iPSCs or keratinocytes used in the study was mentioned.