This work is funded by NIH/ NCI grant R01CA-118916

1. Extract Epithelial Stem Cells from Human Skin
<ol>
<li>Before starting the procedure of isolating epithelial stem cells one needs to prepare the respective medias and reagents (see table1).</li>
<li>Fresh adult human scalp skin from facelift procedures or punch biopsy is collected, then incubate in DMEM / 10% FBS / Dispase (4 mg/ mL) overnight at 4&deg;C. Incubation for 2-4 hr at 37&deg;C is also effective. Skin pieces should be a maximum width of 1 cm to allow for enzyme to penetrate.</li>
<li>Transfer the skin into a sterilized Petri dish, pull off each hair from the skin by grasping the hair shaft near the skin surface and pulling firmly and smoothly. Select follicles at telogen stage based on their morphology under a dissecting microscope, cut out the bulge region (Figure 1A) transfer follicles into a 15 mL sterilized tube. Anagen follicles can also be used if cut at upper 1/3 of follicle to obtain hair follicle "bulge" region (Figure 1B).</li>
<li>Incubate the isolated follicle fragments in a mixture of 0.05% trypsin-EDTA (GIBCO) and Versene (0.53 mM EDTA 4Na, GIBCO) (1:1) for 15-20 min at room temperature with shaking periodically, add 4 mL DMEM + 10% FBS to stop reaction, spin down for 5 min at 800 rpm. Alternatively, follicle tissue fragment explants can be placed in culture without trypsin digest to culture cells from single follicles.</li>
<li>Discard supernatant carefully (save ~0.2-0.5 mL to avoid losing cells) and re-suspend in 1 mL KCM (keratinocyte medium), without EGF.</li>
</ol>
2. Culture Primary Epithelial Stem Cells
<ol>
<li>Before culturing the epithelial stem cells, mitomycin C-treated 3T3-J2 cells (feeder cells) should be prepared as following. 3T3-J2 cells are cultured in DMEM with 10% FBS before treatment. Remove culturing media and wash cell twice with PBS, treat cell with 15&mu;g / mL mitomycin C in DMEM without serum for 2 hr at 37&deg;C, 5% CO2. Remove the mitomycin C-containing DMEM and wash twice with PBS, the cells are ready to use. (Mitomycin C-treated 3T3-J2 cells can also be prepared previously and stored at -80&deg;C. Thaw and seed the cells one day before culturing primary epithelial stem cells, incubate at 37&deg;C, 5% CO2. 150,000-200,000 3T3-J2 cells per well of 6-well plate is recommended.</li>
<li>Seed isolated hair follicle stem cell from step 1.5 on mitomycin C-treated 3T3-J2 cells in KCM without EGF overnight at 37&deg;C, 5% CO2, changed to EGF-containing KCM the next day. Cells are grown at 37&deg;C in a humid atmosphere containing 5% CO2. All keratinocytes are fed with KCM containing EGF every 2 days and grown for 14-20 days. Check cell every day under microscope. Hair follicle stem cells will form colonies (Figure 2A). Hair follicle explants will form outgrowths after 10-14 days (Figure 2B).</li>
</ol>
3. Passage Epithelial Stem Cells
<ol>
<li>Wash cells with PBS once. Remove 3T3-J2 feeder cells by Versene (pre-warmed to RT) treatment. Incubate culture dished in Versene for 5 minutes, then gently shake and aspirate off feeder cells.</li>
<li>Wash hair follicle stem cells with either Versene or PBS one time.</li>
<li>Add pre-warmed (to 37&deg;C, critical) trypsin-EDTA (2X) and incubate at 37&deg;C for 7 minutes or longer if necessary for the hair follicle stem cell to detach. No longer than 15 minutes is best.</li>
<li>Add KCM w/o EGF to stop the trypsin, gently pipette up and down to disperse cells, spin down at 200g, 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Re-suspend cells with KCM without EGF, Count and re-plate on mitomycin C-treated 3T3-J2 cells layer.</li>
</ol>
4. Immortalize Epithelial Stem Cells
Primary cells, even adult stem cells, reach senescence after serial passage and months in culture. Immortalization of primary stem cells is an effective way to relieve this problem.
<ol>
<li>Plate primary epithelial stem cells (~350,000 cells/well of 6 well plate) at passage 1 on feeder layer (3T3-J2) and culture for 2 days.</li>
<li>Culture PA317 LXSN 16E6E7 cell line one day after seeding the primary epithelial stem cells with DMEM containing 10% FBS. (This line produces the amphotropic retrovirus LXSN16E6E7 which encodes the HPV16 E6 and E7 open reading frames, and which can be used to stably infect and immortalize many cell types).</li>
<li>Treat PA317 LXSN 16E6E7 cell line with mitomycin C for 2 hours (Same protocol with 3T3-J2 cells). Add mitomycin C treated PA317 LXSN 16E6E7 cell line to the primary epithelial stem cells, co-culture for 6 days in KCM with EGF. Renew fresh KCM with EGF media every 2 days.</li>
<li>Remove 3T3-J2 and PA317 LXSN 16E6E7 cell with Versene. Add mitomycin-C treated 3T3-J2 NHP cells (neomycin, hygromycin, puromycin resistant, ~200,000 cells per well) to the epithelial stem cells. Cells are selected under 0.2 mg/ mL of G418 (Gibco) for additional 6 days. Renew fresh G418 containing KCM with EGF media every 2 days. 
Surviving epithelial stem cells will be immortalized stem cells. A well of primary epithelial stem cells which are not co-cultured with PA317 LXSN 16E6E7 cell should be set as a control for G418 selection, all the cells in this well should be killed by G418 after 6 days of selection.</li>
</ol>
5. Representative Results
Early passage of skin epithelial stem cells and immortalized epithelial stem cells form tight colonies consisting of small keratinocytes (Figure 2A) surrounded by feeder cells. If cultured in serum free media with defined supplements, without a feeder layer, the stem cells will disperse and not form tight colonies (they grow as single cells and small clusters). Immortalized epithelial stem cells maintain a stable phenotype for >12 months of continuous passage, but tended to form tighter colonies than the primary cells. They do not form anchorage independent colonies in soft agar assays, indicating that these immortalized cells do not possess the characteristics of cancerous cells. Both primary and immortalized epithelial stem cells express hair follicle stem cell marker cytokeratin 15 (Figure 3A), and are able to differentiate into epidermal, hair follicle and sebaceous lineages (Figure 3B-D).
<img src="/files/ftp_upload/2561/2561fig1.jpg" alt="Figure 1" /> 
Figure 1. Plucked hairs. After plucking from dispase-treated skin, hair follicles appear as either telogen club hairs (A) with a ball of cells surrounding the bottom of the hair, or anagen hairs (B) with a sleeve of epithelium surrounding the length of the hair. The telogen bulge region forms a distinct morphologic region to micro-dissect, while the anagen bulge is less distinct. The anagen bulb contains matrix keratinocytes, representing transit-amplifying cells that can also be isolated and cultured.
<img src="/files/ftp_upload/2561/2561fig2.jpg" alt="Figure 2" /> 
Figure 2. Stem cells cultures. (A) Epithelial stem cells from skin form tight epithelial colonies (designated by E) when cultured in KCM with a feeder layer of cells (designated by F). (B) Hair follicle explants give rise to epithelial outgrowths. The telogen bulge region (designated by T) is attached to the dish and surrounded epithelial cell colony along with feeder cells.
<img src="/files/ftp_upload/2561/2561fig3.jpg" alt="Figure 3" /> 
Figure 3. Stem cell differentiation. (A) Stem cells colonies maintain expression of epithelial markers such as cytokeratin 15. (B) Skin epithelial stem cells can be differentiated along the hair follicle lineage as determined by K6Hf expression. (C) The cells can be cultured on de-epidermalized dermis or other matrices at the air-liquid interface and will form a stratified epidermis with cornified layer, granular layer and spinous layer. (D) Stem cells can be induced along the sebaceous lineage with Oil Red positive globules.

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No conflicts of interest declared.

The cell extraction and culture methods described are surprisingly facile and reproducible. We have generated epithelial stem cell cultures from dozens of individuals across a broad age range, including patients with inherited skin defects18. It is best to begin the process on the day of tissue harvest, however cells will remain viable in media on ice for several days, facilitating overnight shipping if needed. Discarded facelift skin yields hundreds of viable follicles for cell extraction as single cell suspe...

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		<div>
		<table border="1">
		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
		</thead>
		<tbody>
		
<tr>
<td>DMEM</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>GIBCO</td>
<td>11995</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Hams F12</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>GIBCO</td>
<td>11765</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>GIBCO</td>
<td>16000</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Insulin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>GIBCO</td>
<td>12585</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>T3</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>T-2752</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Transferrin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>10652202001</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Hydrocortisone</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>H-4001</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Cholera Toxin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>C8052</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Epidermal growth factor (EGF)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>E-9644</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Adenine</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>A9795</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Trypsin(10X)</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>GIBCO</td>
<td>15090</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>VERSENE</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>GIBCO</td>
<td>15040</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>G418 Sulfate</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Cellgro</td>
<td>30-234-CR</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Hanks&#x2019; Balanced Salt solution</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Sigma</td>
<td>H6648</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>1X PBS</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Cellgro</td>
<td>21-040-CV</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Mitomycin C</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Roche</td>
<td>10107409001</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Penicillin/streptomycin</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>15140122</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Dispase</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>17105</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>Crystal Violet</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<td>Fisher</td>
<td>C581-25</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>		</tbody>
		</table>
		</div>
			<div>
			Keratinocyte media (KCM)
[DMEM and Ham s F12 (GIBCO, 3:1), adenine (Sigma, 180 mM), 10% fetal bovine serum (GIBCO), cholera toxin (ICN, 0.1 nM), penicillin/streptomycin (GIBCO, 100 U/ml and 100 mg/ml, respectively), hydrocortisone (Sigma, 0.4 mg/ml, 1.1 mM), T/T3 (transferrin, GIBCO, 5 &mu;g/ml, 649 nM; and triiodo-l-thyronine, Sigma, 2 nM), insulin (Sigma, 5 mg/ml, 862 nM), and EGF (Sigma, 10 ng/ml, 1.6 nM), pH 7.2]
		</div>

isolation and culture of adult epithelial stem cells from human skin

The homeostasis of all self-renewing tissues is dependent on adult stem cells. As undifferentiated stem cells undergo asymmetric divisions, they generate daughter cells that retain the stem cell phenotype and transit-amplifying cells (TA cells) that migrate from the stem cell niche, undergo rapid proliferation and terminally differentiate to repopulate the tissue.
Epithelial stem cells have been identified in the epidermis, hair follicle, and intestine as cells with a high in vitro proliferative potential and as slow-cycling label-retaining cells in vivo 1-3. Adult, tissue-specific stem cells are responsible for the regeneration of the tissues in which they reside during normal physiologic turnover as well as during times of stress 4-5. Moreover, stem cells are generally considered to be multi-potent, possessing the capacity to give rise to multiple cell types within the tissue 6. For example, rodent hair follicle stem cells can generate epidermis, sebaceous glands, and hair follicles 7-9. We have shown that stem cells from the human hair follicle bulge region exhibit multi-potentiality 10.
Stem cells have become a valuable tool in biomedical research, due to their utility as an in vitro system for studying developmental biology, differentiation, tumorigenesis and for their possible therapeutic utility. It is likely that adult epithelial stem cells will be useful in the treatment of diseases such as ectodermal dysplasias, monilethrix, Netherton syndrome, Menkes disease, hereditary epidermolysis bullosa and alopecias 11-13. Additionally, other skin problems such as burn wounds, chronic wounds and ulcers will benefit from stem cell related therapies 14,15. Given the potential for reprogramming of adult cells into a pluripotent state (iPS cells)16,17, the readily accessible and expandable adult stem cells in human skin may provide a valuable source of cells for induction and downstream therapy for a wide range of disease including diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Isolation and Culture of Adult Epithelial Stem Cells from Human Skin at JoVE.com

Isolation and Culture of Adult Epithelial Stem Cells from Human Skin

A rapid, robust way of isolating viable adult epithelial stem cells from human skin is described. The method utilizes enzymatic digestion of skin collagen matrix , followed by plucking of hair follicles and isolation of single cell suspensions or tissue fragments for cell culture.

The homeostasis of all self-renewing tissues is dependent on adult stem cells. As undifferentiated stem cells undergo asymmetric divisions, they generate ...

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28.2K Views.  University of Massachusetts Medical School. A rapid, robust way of isolating viable adult epithelial stem cells from human skin is described. The method utilizes enzymatic digestion of skin collagen matrix , followed by plucking of hair follicles and isolation of single cell suspensions or tissue fragments for cell culture.

Video: Isolation and Culture of Adult Epithelial Stem Cells from Human Skin

Isolation and Large Scale Expansion of Adult Human Endothelial Colony Forming Progenitor Cells

This paper introduces a novel recovery strategy for endothelial colony forming progenitor cells (ECFCs) from heparinized but otherwise unmanipulated adult human peripheral blood within a mean of 12 days. After large scale expansion &gt;1x108 ECFCs can be obtained for further tests. Advantageously by using pHPL the contact of human cells with bovine serum antigens can be excluded. By flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry the isolated cells can be characterized as ECFC and their in vitro functionality to form vascular like structures can be tested in a matrigel assay. Further these cells can be subcutaneously injected in a mouse model to form functional, perfused vessels in vivo. After long term expansion and cryopreservation proliferation, function and genomic stability appear to be preserved. 3,4
This animal-protein free isolation and expansion method is easily applicable to generate a large quantity of ECFCs.

Endothelial colony forming progenitor cells (ECFCs) are a promising tool to study vascular homeostasis and repair.1,2 This paper introduces a novel animal-serum free method for isolation and expansion of ECFC from heparinised adult human peripheral blood with pooled human platelet lysate (pHPL) diminishing the risk of anti-bovine immunisation.

This paper introduces a novel recovery strategy for endothelial colony forming progenitor cells (ECFCs) from heparinized but otherwise unmanipulated adult ...

Adult and Embryonic Skeletal Muscle Microexplant Culture and Isolation of Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells

Cultured embryonic and adult skeletal muscle cells have a number of different uses. The micro-dissected explants technique described in this chapter is a robust and reliable method for isolating relatively large numbers of proliferative skeletal muscle cells from juvenile, adult or embryonic muscles as a source of skeletal muscle stem cells. The authors have used micro-dissected explant cultures to analyse the growth characteristics of skeletal muscle cells in wild-type and dystrophic muscles. Each of the components of tissue growth, namely cell survival, proliferation, senescence and differentiation can be analysed separately using the methods described here. The net effect of all components of growth can be established by means of measuring explant outgrowth rates. The micro-explant method can be used to establish primary cultures from a wide range of different muscle types and ages and, as described here, has been adapted by the authors to enable the isolation of embryonic skeletal muscle precursors.
Uniquely, micro-explant cultures have been used to derive clonal (single cell origin) skeletal muscle stem cell (SMSc) lines which can be expanded and used for in vivo transplantation. In vivo transplanted SMSc behave as functional, tissue-specific, satellite cells which contribute to skeletal muscle fibre regeneration but which are also retained (in the satellite cell niche) as a small pool of undifferentiated stem cells which can be re-isolated into culture using the micro-explant method.

The micro-dissected explants technique is a robust and reliable method for isolating proliferative skeletal muscle cells from juvenile, adult or embryonic muscles as a source of skeletal muscle stem cells. Uniquely, these cells have been clonally derived to produce skeletal muscle stem cell lines used for in vivo transplantation.

Cultured embryonic and adult skeletal muscle cells have a number of different uses. The micro-dissected explants technique described in this chapter is a ...

Isolation of Stem Cells from Human Pancreatic Cancer Xenografts

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified in a growing number of malignancies and are functionally defined by their ability to undergo self-renewal and produce differentiated progeny1. These properties allow CSCs to recapitulate the original tumor when injected into immunocompromised mice. CSCs within an epithelial malignancy were first described in breast cancer and found to display specific cell surface antigen expression (CD44+CD24low/-)2. Since then, CSCs have been identified in an increasing number of other human malignancies using CD44 and CD24 as well as a number of other surface antigens. Physiologic properties, including aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity, have also been used to isolate CSCs from malignant tissues3-5.
Recently, we and others identified CSCs from pancreatic adenocarcinoma based on
ALDH activity and the expression of the cell surface antigens CD44 and CD24, and CD1336-8. These highly tumorigenic populations may or may not be overlapping and display other functions. We found that ALDH+ and CD44+CD24+ pancreatic CSCs are similarly tumorigenic, but ALDH+ cells are relatively more invasive8. In this protocol we describe a method to isolate viable pancreatic CSCs from low-passage human
xenografts9. Xenografted tumors are harvested from mice and made into a single-cell suspension. Tissue debris and dead cells are separated from live cells and then stained using antibodies against CD44 and CD24 and using the ALDEFLUOR reagent,
a fluorescent substrate of ALDH10. CSCs are then isolated by fluorescence activated cell sorting. Isolated CSCs can then be used for analytical or functional assays requiring viable cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified in a number of malignancies. In this protocol we describe a flow cytometric method utilizing aldehyde dehydrogenase activity and CD44 and CD24 expression to isolate CSCs from human pancreatic adenocarcinoma xenografts. These viable cells can then be used in functional and analytical studies.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been identified in a growing number of malignancies and are functionally defined by their ability to undergo self-renewal ...

Isolation and Culture of Individual Myofibers and their Satellite Cells from Adult Skeletal Muscle

Muscle regeneration in the adult is performed by resident stem cells called satellite cells. Satellite cells are defined by their position between the basal lamina and the sarcolemma of each myofiber. Current knowledge of their behavior heavily relies on the use of the single myofiber isolation protocol. In 1985, Bischoff described a protocol to isolate single live fibers from the Flexor Digitorum Brevis (FDB) of adult rats with the goal to create an in vitro system in which the physical association between the myofiber and its stem cells is preserved 1. In 1995, Rosenblattmodified the Bischoff protocol such that myofibers are singly picked and handled separately after collagenase digestion instead of being isolated by gravity sedimentation 2, 3. The Rosenblatt or Bischoff protocol has since been adapted to different muscles, age or conditions 3-6. The single myofiber isolation technique is an indispensable tool due its unique advantages. First, in the single myofiber protocol, satellite cells are maintained beneath the basal lamina. This is a unique feature of the protocol as other techniques such as Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting require chemical and mechanical tissue dissociation 7. Although the myofiber culture system cannot substitute for in vivo studies, it does offer an excellent platform to address relevant biological properties of muscle stem cells. Single myofibers can be cultured in standard plating conditions or in floating conditions. Satellite cells on floating myofibers are subjected to virtually no other influence than the myofiber environment. Substrate stiffness and coating have been shown to influence satellite cells' ability to regenerate muscles 8, 9 so being able to control each of these factors independently allows discrimination between niche-dependent and -independent responses. Different concentrations of serum have also been shown to have an effect on the transition from quiescence to activation. To preserve the quiescence state of its associated satellite cells, fibers should be kept in low serum medium 1-3. This is particularly useful when studying genes involved in the quiescence state. In serum rich medium, satellite cells quickly activate, proliferate, migrate and differentiate, thus mimicking the in vivo regenerative process 1-3. The system can be used to perform a variety of assays such as the testing of chemical inhibitors; ectopic expression of genes by virus delivery; oligonucleotide based gene knock-down or live imaging. This video article describes the protocol currently used in our laboratory to isolate single myofibers from the Extensor Digitorum Longus (EDL) muscle of adult mice (6-8 weeks old).

Isolation and culture of myofibers is the gold standard in vitro system to study the transition of satellite cells through quiescence, activation and differentiation. Importantly, the single myofiber culture system preserves the myofiber/stem cell association, which is an essential component of the muscle stem cell niche.

Muscle  regeneration in the adult is performed by resident stem cells called satellite  cells. Satellite cells are defined by  their position between the ...

Na&iuml;ve Adult Stem Cells Isolation from Primary Human Fibroblast Cultures

Over the last decade, several adult stem cell populations have been identified in human skin 1-4. The isolation of multipotent adult dermal precursors was first reported by Miller F. D laboratory 5, 6. These early studies described a multipotent precursor cell population from adult mammalian dermis 5. These cells--termed SKPs, for skin-derived precursors-- were isolated and expanded from rodent and human skin and differentiated into both neural and mesodermal progeny, including cell types never found in skin, such as neurons 5. Immunocytochemical studies on cultured SKPs revealed that cells expressed vimentin and nestin, an intermediate filament protein expressed in neural and skeletal muscle precursors, in addition to fibronectin and multipotent stem cell markers 6. Until now, the adult stem cells population SKPs have been isolated from freshly collected mammalian skin biopsies.
Recently, we have established and reported that a population of skin derived precursor cells could remain present in primary fibroblast cultures established from skin biopsies 7. The assumption that a few somatic stem cells might reside in primary fibroblast cultures at early population doublings was based upon the following observations: (1) SKPs and primary fibroblast cultures are derived from the dermis, and therefore a small number of SKP cells could remain present in primary dermal fibroblast cultures and (2) primary fibroblast cultures grown from frozen aliquots that have been subjected to unfavorable temperature during storage or transfer contained a small number of cells that remained viable 7. These rare cells were able to expand and could be passaged several times. This observation suggested that a small number of cells with high proliferation potency and resistance to stress were present in human fibroblast cultures 7.
We took advantage of these findings to establish a protocol for rapid isolation of adult stem cells from primary fibroblast cultures that are readily available from tissue banks around the world (Figure 1). This method has important significance as it allows the isolation of precursor cells when skin samples are not accessible while fibroblast cultures may be available from tissue banks, thus, opening new opportunities to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying rare genetic diseases as well as modeling diseases in a dish.

Na&#239;ve Adult Stem Cells Isolation from Primary Human Fibroblast Cultures

We report a method to isolate na&#239;ve multipotent skin-derived precursor (SKP) cells from primary human fibroblast cultures. We show that these SKPs derived from fibroblast cultures share similar stem cell properties to the ones derived directly from human skin biopsies. These cells express the neural crest marker, nestin, in addition to the multipotent markers such as OCT4 and Nanog.

Over the last decade, several adult stem cell  populations have been identified in human skin 1-4.  The isolation of multipotent adult dermal precursors ...

Induction and Analysis of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is essential for proper morphogenesis during development. Misregulation of this process has been implicated as a key event in fibrosis and the progression of carcinomas to a metastatic state. Understanding the processes that underlie EMT is imperative for the early diagnosis and clinical control of these disease states. Reliable induction of EMT in vitro is a useful tool for drug discovery as well as to identify common gene expression signatures for diagnostic purposes. Here we demonstrate a straightforward method for the induction of EMT in a variety of cell types. Methods for the analysis of cells pre- and post-EMT induction by immunocytochemistry are also included. Additionally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this method through antibody-based array analysis and migration/invasion assays.

A straightforward method is described for the induction of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a variety of cell types. Methods for the analysis of cells in EMT states by immunocytochemistry are included.

Epithelial  to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is essential for proper morphogenesis during  development. Misregulation of this  process has been implicated ...

Manual Isolation of Adipose-derived Stem Cells from Human Lipoaspirates

In 2001, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, described the isolation of a new population of adult stem cells from liposuctioned adipose tissue that they initially termed Processed Lipoaspirate Cells or PLA cells. Since then, these stem cells have been renamed as Adipose-derived Stem Cells or ASCs and have gone on to become one of the most popular adult stem cells populations in the fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine. Thousands of articles now describe the use of ASCs in a variety of regenerative animal models, including bone regeneration, peripheral nerve repair and cardiovascular engineering. Recent articles have begun to describe the myriad of uses for ASCs in the clinic. The protocol shown in this article outlines the basic procedure for manually and enzymatically isolating ASCs from large amounts of lipoaspirates obtained from cosmetic procedures. This protocol can easily be scaled up or down to accommodate the volume of lipoaspirate and can be adapted to isolate ASCs from fat tissue obtained through abdominoplasties and other similar procedures.

In 2001, researchers at UCLA described the isolation of a population of adult stem cells, termed Adipose-derived Stem Cells or ASCs, from adipose tissue. This article outlines the isolation of ASCs from lipoaspirates using a manual, enzymatic digestion protocol using collagenase.

In 2001, researchers at the University of  California, Los Angeles, described the isolation of a new population of adult  stem cells from liposuctioned ...

Isolation, Culture, and Transplantation of Muscle Satellite Cells

Muscle satellite cells are a stem cell population required for postnatal skeletal muscle development and regeneration, accounting for 2-5% of sublaminal nuclei in muscle fibers. In adult muscle, satellite cells are normally mitotically quiescent. Following injury, however, satellite cells initiate cellular proliferation to produce myoblasts, their progenies, to mediate the regeneration of muscle. Transplantation of satellite cell-derived myoblasts has been widely studied as a possible therapy for several regenerative diseases including muscular dystrophy, heart failure, and urological dysfunction. Myoblast transplantation into dystrophic skeletal muscle, infarcted heart, and dysfunctioning urinary ducts has shown that engrafted myoblasts can differentiate into muscle fibers in the host tissues and display partial functional improvement in these diseases. Therefore, the development of efficient purification methods of quiescent satellite cells from skeletal muscle, as well as the establishment of satellite cell-derived myoblast cultures and transplantation methods for myoblasts, are essential for understanding the molecular mechanisms behind satellite cell self-renewal, activation, and differentiation. Additionally, the development of cell-based therapies for muscular dystrophy and other regenerative diseases are also dependent upon these factors.

However, current prospective purification methods of quiescent satellite cells require the use of expensive fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) machines. Here, we present a new method for the rapid, economical, and reliable purification of quiescent satellite cells from adult mouse skeletal muscle by enzymatic dissociation followed by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). Following isolation of pure quiescent satellite cells, these cells can be cultured to obtain large numbers of myoblasts after several passages. These freshly isolated quiescent satellite cells or ex vivo expanded myoblasts can be transplanted into cardiotoxin (CTX)-induced regenerating mouse skeletal muscle to examine the contribution of donor-derived cells to regenerating muscle fibers, as well as to satellite cell compartments for the examination of self-renewal activities.

The isolation and culture of a pure population of quiescent satellite cells, a muscle stem cell population, is essential to the understanding of muscle stem cell biology and regeneration, as well as stem cell transplantation for therapies in muscular dystrophy and other degenerative diseases.&#160;

Muscle satellite cells are a stem cell population required for postnatal skeletal muscle development and regeneration, accounting for 2-5% of sublaminal ...

Isolation and Culture of Dental Epithelial Stem Cells from the Adult Mouse Incisor

Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie tooth regeneration and renewal has become a topic of great interest1-4, and the mouse incisor provides a model for these processes. This remarkable organ grows continuously throughout the animal&#39;s life and generates all the necessary cell types from active pools of adult stem cells housed in the labial (toward the lip) and lingual (toward the tongue) cervical loop (CL) regions. Only the dental stem cells from the labial CL give rise to ameloblasts that generate enamel, the outer covering of teeth, on the labial surface. This asymmetric enamel formation allows abrasion at the incisor tip, and progenitors and stem cells in the proximal incisor ensure that the dental tissues are constantly replenished. The ability to isolate and grow these progenitor or stem cells in vitro allows their expansion and opens doors to numerous experiments not achievable in vivo, such as high throughput testing of potential stem cell regulatory factors. Here, we describe and demonstrate a reliable and consistent method to culture cells from the labial CL of the mouse incisor.

The continuously growing mouse incisor provides a model for studying renewal of dental tissues from dental epithelial stem cells (DESCs). A robust system for consistently and reliably obtaining these cells from the incisor and expanding them in vitro is reported here.

Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie tooth regeneration and renewal has become a topic of great interest1-4, and the mouse ...

Isolation and Culture of Primary Mouse Keratinocytes from Neonatal and Adult Mouse Skin

The keratinocyte (KC) is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epidermal KCs play a critical role in providing skin defense by forming an intact skin barrier against environmental insults, such as UVB irradiation or pathogens, and also by initiating an inflammatory response upon those insults. Here we describe methods to isolate KCs from neonatal mouse skin and from adult mouse tail skin. We also describe culturing conditions using defined growth supplements (dGS) in comparison to chelexed fetal bovine serum (cFBS). Functionally, we show that both neonatal and adult KCs are highly responsive to high calcium-induced terminal differentiation, tight junction formation and stratification. Additionally, cultured adult KCs are susceptible to UVB-triggered cell death and can release large amounts of TNF upon UVB irradiation. Together, the methods described here will be useful to researchers for the setup of in vitro models to study epidermal biology in the neonatal mouse and/or the adult mouse.

Epidermal keratinocytes form a functional skin barrier and are positioned at the front line of host defense against external environmental insults. Here we describe methods for isolation and primary culture of epidermal keratinocytes from neonatal and adult mouse skin, and induction of terminal differentiation and UVB-triggered inflammatory response from keratinocytes.

The keratinocyte (KC) is the predominant cell type in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epidermal KCs play a critical role in providing skin ...