title: A novel three-dimensional cell culture method to analyze epidermal cell differentiation in vitro.
abstract: Studies of the epidermis have been carried out in various models, such as the monolayer culture in vitro model and three-dimensional (3D) skin models, that are spatially organized to display the architectural features seen in human skin. These models have furthered our understanding of epidermal cell biology and provided quite a few lines of evidence on proliferation, cellular metabolism, morphological status, and state of differentiation. In this chapter, we describe a novel method using epithelial cell aggregates embedded in a collagen gel, instead of individual cells, for building cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Analyzing cell behaviors during epidermal differentiation would be helpful. Our method would help to analyze a possible regulatory mechanism underlying epidermal differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience, School of Science and Engineering, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, 669-1337, Japan, okugawa_youji@bathclin.co.jp.
authors.forename: Yoji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okugawa
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002449:Cell Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D003094:Collagen