Isolation, Culture, And Potential Use Of Porcine Neural And Epidermal Stem Cells

This study explored the isolation and culture of porcine neural and epidermal stem cells using miniature pigs as a biomedical model. Researchers isolated multipotent cells from the brains of 40- and 80-day-old porcine fetuses, which formed spheres in culture and differentiated into neurons, glia, and oligodendrocytes. Epidermal stem cells (EpSC) were characterized by their slow proliferation and were primarily located in the bulge region of hair follicles. A new method was developed to isolate porcine hair follicles, revealing that keratinocytes expressed galectin-1 and ΔNp63α. The study concluded that porcine hair follicles are a valuable model for studying keratinocyte function, with galectin-1 as a potential marker for stem cells in vitro.