Characterization of Human Keratinocyte Cell Lines for Barrier Studies

Mary C Moran; Radha P Pandya; Kimberly A Leffler; Takeshi Yoshida; Lisa A Beck; Matthew G Brewer

doi:10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100018

Characterization of Human Keratinocyte Cell Lines for Barrier Studies

JID Innov. 2021 Apr 28;1(2):100018. doi: 10.1016/j.xjidi.2021.100018. eCollection 2021 Jun.

Authors

Mary C Moran^{1

2}, Radha P Pandya², Kimberly A Leffler², Takeshi Yoshida², Lisa A Beck², Matthew G Brewer²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA.
² Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA.

Abstract

Epidermal cell models are critical for studying skin biology. The gold standard used by the scientific community has historically been primary cell cultures from discarded tissue, typically from neonates (foreskin). Although directly applicable to humans, this system suffers from multiple issues, including substantial donor-to-donor variability and a finite number of divisions in culture. As such, we have identified a faithful alternative called N/TERT2G cells. These cells show many of the characteristics of primary cells, including barrier formation, differentiation kinetics and/or protein expression, and pathogenesis. From our observations, N/TERT2G cells can serve as a reproducible and genetically manipulatable platform in studying skin biology.

Keywords: CK, cytokeratin; KC, keratinocyte; PHFK, primary human foreskin keratinocyte; SC, stratum corneum; TEER, transepithelial electrical resistance; TJ, tight junction.

Abstract

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