Enrichment for Living Murine Keratinocytes from the Hair Follicle Bulge with the Cell Surface Marker CD34

The study identified CD34 as a specific marker for keratinocytes in the hair follicle bulge of mice, which were believed to be epithelial stem cells. Researchers used CD34-specific antibodies to isolate these keratinocytes, which expressed keratin 15 and α6 integrin, and were predominantly in the Go/G1 phase, indicating stem and progenitor cell characteristics. CD34+ keratinocytes showed higher proliferative potential than CD34– cells, forming larger colonies in culture. The study was significant as it was the first to use CD34 as a bulge-specific marker for isolating live epithelial cells, potentially aiding in studies of carcinogenesis, gene therapy, and tissue engineering.