Establishment of Keratinocyte Cell Lines from Human Hair Follicles
September 2018
in “
Scientific reports
”
keratinocyte cell lines human hair follicles SV40 hTERT stratified epidermis organotypic skin models protein expression differentiation cell junctions cornification biotin diffusion SV40 large T-antigen p53 accumulation DNA-methylation inhibition antigen expression incomplete differentiation keratinocyte biology skin disorders keratinocyte hair follicles skin models protein biotin T-antigen p53 DNA-methylation antigen
TLDR Scientists created keratinocyte cell lines from human hair that can differentiate similarly to normal skin cells, offering a new way to study skin biology and diseases.
The study successfully established keratinocyte cell lines from human hair follicles, which were immortalized using SV40 and hTERT. These cell lines were able to differentiate into stratified epidermis in organotypic skin models, showing comparable behavior to primary keratinocytes in terms of protein expression related to differentiation, cell junctions, and cornification, as well as forming a barrier against biotin diffusion. The differentiation process was linked to the presence of SV40 large T-antigen and p53 accumulation in the basal layer, with DNA-methylation inhibition leading to antigen expression in upper layers and incomplete differentiation. This research indicates that keratinocyte cell lines derived from hair follicles, which are easier to obtain than skin biopsies, can fully differentiate in vitro, offering a promising tool for studying keratinocyte biology and skin disorders.
