title: Human melanocytes can be isolated, propagated and expanded from plucked anagen hair follicles.
abstract: Herein, we report a technically simple method for isolation and culture of human follicular melanocytes based on explant cultures of epilated hair follicles. This technique does not require any surgical intervention and allows the isolation and cultivation of follicular melanocytes from a comparatively small amount of raw material. Generally, 30-60 human anagen hair follicles have been plucked from the scalp of healthy donors and cultivated under low oxygen pressure (5%). After a short period of time cells of various types were growing out from the outer root sheath (ORS) of the hair follicles. Under the selected culture conditions, most of the cells other than melanocytes have been eliminated and a nearly 100% pure population of melanocytes has been achieved, as confirmed by immunohistochemical analyses for melanocyte-specific markers, for example, Tyrosinase-1, S-100 and premelanosomal antigens. These melanocytes derived from the ORS were proliferating for up to 2 months.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dieckmann
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Milkova
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hunziker
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emmendörffer
authors.forename: Jan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology; D007980:Levodopa / Q000378:metabolism; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult; D058951:gp100 Melanoma Antigen / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D058950:Melanoma-Specific Antigens; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; C548637:PMEL protein, human; D009418:S100 Proteins; D058951:gp100 Melanoma Antigen; D007980:Levodopa; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase; D015056:1-Methyl-3-isobutylxanthine