Generation and culturing of primary human keratinocytes from adult skin

Abstract

The main function of keratinocytes is to provide the structural integrity of the epidermis, thereby maintaining a mechanical barrier to the outside world. In addition, keratinocytes play an essential role in the initiation, maintenance, and regulation of epidermal immune responses by being part of the innate immune system responding to antigenic stimuli in a fast, nonspecific manner. Here, we describe a protocol for isolation of primary human keratinocytes from adult skin, and demonstrate that these cells respond to calcium-induced terminal differentiation, as measured by an increased expression of the differentiation marker involucrin. In addition, we show that the isolated keratinocytes are responsive to IL-1β-induced activation of intracellular signaling pathways as measured by the activation of the p38 MAPK pathway. Taken together, we describe a method for isolation and culturing of primary human keratinocytes from adult skin. Because the keratinocytes are the predominant cell type in the epidermis, this method is useful to study molecular mechanisms in cutaneous biology in vitro.