The authors wish to thank Harene Ranjithakumaran and Stacey Jackson for technical support. This work was supported in part by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council (R.C.B. Wong, A. P&#233;bay), the University of Melbourne (R.C.B. Wong), Retina Australia (R.C.B. Wong, S.S.C. Hung, A. P&#233;bay) and the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (R.C.B. Wong, S.S.C. Hung, A. P&#233;bay); Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (A. P&#233;bay, FT140100047), Cranbourne Foundation Fellowship (R.C.B. Wong); intramural funding from the National Institutes for Health (R.C.B. Wong, S.S.C. Hung) and operational infrastructure support from the Victorian Government.

The collection of human hair sample from individuals requires ethical approval by the human research ethics committee in the host institutions and should be done in compliance with the institutional guidelines.
1. Isolation of Keratinocytes from Plucked Hair
<ol>
	<li>Thaw Extracellular Matrix (ECM) solution (i.e., Matrigel) on ice O/N.</li>
	<li>Using pre-chilled pipette tips, add 200 &#181;l&#160;ECM solution to 12 ml&#160;of chilled DMEM/F12 medium. Coat a 12-well plate with 1 ml...

<ol>
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H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reprogramming+of+human+somatic+cells+to+pluripotency+with+defined+factors.">Reprogramming of human somatic cells to pluripotency with defined factors.</a> Nature. 451, U141-U141 (2008).</li><li>Okita, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+efficient+nonviral+method+to+generate+integration-free+human-induced+pluripotent+stem+cells+from+cord+blood+and+peripheral+blood+cells.">An efficient nonviral method to generate integration-free human-induced pluripotent stem cells from cord blood and peripheral blood cells.</a> Stem Cells. 31, 458-466 (2013).</li><li>Dowey, S. N., Huang, X., Chou, B. K., Ye, Z., Cheng, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+integration-free+human+induced+pluripotent+stem+cells+from+postnatal+blood+mononuclear+cells+by+plasmid+vector+expression.">Generation of integration-free human induced pluripotent stem cells from postnatal blood mononuclear cells by plasmid vector expression.</a> Nat Protoc. 7, 2013-2021 (2012).</li><li>Zhou, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Generation+of+induced+pluripotent+stem+cells+from+urine.">Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from urine.</a> J Am Soc Nephrol. 22, 1221-1228 (2011).</li><li>Aasen, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Efficient+and+rapid+generation+of+induced+pluripotent+stem+cells+from+human+keratinocytes.">Efficient and rapid generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from human keratinocytes.</a> Nat Biotechnol. 26, 1276-1284 (2008).</li><li>Peters, A., Zambidis, E., Ye, K., Jin, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Chapter+16.+Generation+of+nonviral+integration-free+induced+pluripotent+stem+cells+from+plucked+human+hair+follicles.">Chapter 16. Generation of nonviral integration-free induced pluripotent stem cells from plucked human hair follicles.</a> Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Lineage-Specific Differentiation Protocols.Springer Protocols Handbooks. , 203-227 (2012).</li><li>Fuchs, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Scratching+the+surface+of+skin+development.">Scratching the surface of skin development.</a> Nature. 445, 834-842 (2007).</li><li>Limat, A., Noser, F. K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Serial+cultivation+of+single+keratinocytes+from+the+outer+root+sheath+of+human+scalp+hair+follicles.">Serial cultivation of single keratinocytes from the outer root sheath of human scalp hair follicles.</a> J Invest Dermatol. 87, 485-488 (1986).</li><li>Piao, Y., Hung, S. S., Lim, S. Y., Wong, R. C., Ko, M. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Efficient+generation+of+integration-free+human+induced+pluripotent+stem+cells+from+keratinocytes+by+simple+transfection+of+episomal+vectors.">Efficient generation of integration-free human induced pluripotent stem cells from keratinocytes by simple transfection of episomal vectors.</a> Stem Cells Transl Med. 3, 787-791 (2014).</li><li>Higgins, C. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reprogramming+of+human+hair+follicle+dermal+papilla+cells+into+induced+pluripotent+stem+cells.">Reprogramming of human hair follicle dermal papilla cells into induced pluripotent stem cells.</a> J Invest Dermatol. 132, 1725-1727 (2012).</li><li>Muchkaeva, I. 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A., et al., Ausubel, F. N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mouse+embryo+fibroblast+(MEF)+feeder+cell+preparation.">Mouse embryo fibroblast (MEF) feeder cell preparation.</a> Current protocols in molecular biology. 23, Unit 23 22 (2001).</li><li>Pebay, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Essential+roles+of+sphingosine-1-phosphate+and+platelet-derived+growth+factor+in+the+maintenance+of+human+embryonic+stem+cells.">Essential roles of sphingosine-1-phosphate and platelet-derived growth factor in the maintenance of human embryonic stem cells.</a> Stem Cells. 23, 1541-1548 (2005).</li><li>Myung, P., Ito, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dissecting+the+bulge+in+hair+regeneration.">Dissecting the bulge in hair regeneration.</a> J Clin Invest. 122, 448-454 (2012).</li><li>Alonso, L., Fuchs, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+hair+cycle.">The hair cycle.</a> J Cell Sci. 119, 391-393 (2006).</li><li>Robinton, D. A., Daley, G. Q. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+promise+of+induced+pluripotent+stem+cells+in+research+and+therapy.">The promise of induced pluripotent stem cells in research and therapy.</a> Nature. 481, 295-305 (2012).</li><li>Soares, F. A., Sheldon, M., Rao, M., Mummery, C., Vallier, L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=International+coordination+of+large-scale+human+induced+pluripotent+stem+cell+initiatives:+Wellcome+Trust+and+ISSCR+workshops+white+paper.">International coordination of large-scale human induced pluripotent stem cell initiatives: Wellcome Trust and ISSCR workshops white paper.</a> Stem cell reports. 3, 931-939 (2014).</li><li>McKernan, R., Watt, F. 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The authors have no conflict of interest.

Generation of patient-specific hiPSCs offers a unique approach for studying pathogenesis in the diseased cell types in vitro, and also provides a platform for drug screening to identify novel molecules that can rescue the disease phenotypes. This disease modeling approach using hiPSCs has yielded promising results for a variety of diseases, including Long QT syndrome, Huntington&#8217;s disease, Parkinson&#8217;s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 22. Several initiatives are already underway to...

The discovery of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has revolutionized the field of regenerative medicine, providing a feasible method for generation of patient-specific stem cells 1-3. hiPSCs have been successfully generated from various somatic cell types, including fibroblasts 4,5, hematopoietic cells 6,7, renal epithelial cells from urine 8 and keratinocytes 9,10. To date, skin fibroblasts and hematopoietic cells represent the most commonly used cell sources for generating patient-specific iPSCs. Arguably, this is due to the fact that skin biopsies and blood collection are routine medical procedures and large biobanks of patient blood or skin samples have been established in many countries.
In contrast to blood cells and skin fibroblast which require invasive extraction methods, keratinocytes represent an easily accessible cell type for hiPSC generation. Keratinocytes are keratin-rich epithelial cells that form the exterior epidermal barrier of the skin and are also found in nails and hair 11. In particular, keratinocytes can be found on the outer root sheath (ORS) of hair follicles, an external cellular layer that covered the hair shaft together with the inner root sheath (IRS) cells (12, Figure 1). As hair collection is a simple procedure that does not require the assistance of medical personnel, it provides an opportunity for patients to collect and send their own hair samples to laboratories, which would greatly facilitate the collection of patient samples for hiPSC generation. Epidermal keratinocytes also have a higher reprogramming efficiency and faster reprogramming kinetics compared to fibroblasts, adding to the advantages of using keratinocytes as the starting cells for hiPSC generation 9,13. Furthermore, hiPSCs can also be generated using other cell populations within the hair follicle, including the dermal papilla cells located at the base of the hair follicle 14,15.
Previous reports of iPSC generation using hair-derived cells often utilize retroviral or lentiviral-based reprogramming methods 9,14,15. However, these viral methods introduce undesirable genomic integration of foreign transgenes during reprogramming. In comparison, the use of episomal vectors represents a feasible, non-viral reprogramming method to generate integration-free iPSCs 4. We have previously developed a simple, cost-effective and non-viral method to efficiently reprogram keratinocyte into hiPSCs using episomal vectors 13. Here we provide a detailed protocol for the generation of keratinocyte-derived hiPSCs, including the derivation of keratinocytes from plucked hair, expansion and maintenance of the keratinocytes and subsequent reprogramming to generate hiPSCs.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Antibiotic Mix:&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>250 ng/ml Antimycotic amphotericin B</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A2942-20ml</td>
			<td>Antibiotic mix is made up in PBS.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1X Penicillin/Streptomycin</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>15140-122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PBS (-)</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>14190-144</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Knockout Serum Replacement (KSR) medium:&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>KSR medium is filtered using Stericup (Millipore, #SCGPU05RE) before use. bFGF is added fresh to the media before use.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>20% knockout serum replacement (KSR)</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>10828-028</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM/F12 with glutamax</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>10565-042</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1&#215; MEM non-essential amino acid</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>11140-050</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;0.5&#215; Penicillin/Streptomycin</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>15140-122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;0.1 mM &#946;-mercaptoethanol</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>21985</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;bFGF (10 ng/ml, added fresh)</td>
			<td>Millipore</td>
			<td>GF003</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Keratinocyte medium:&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;EpiLife with 60&#160;&#181;M Calcium</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>M-EPI-500-CA</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1&#215; Human keratinocyte growth supplement (HKGS)</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>S-001-5</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) medium:&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>FBS medium is filtered using Stericup (Millipore, #SCGPU05RE)&#160; before use.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10% fetal bovine serum (FBS)</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>26140079</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM&#160;</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>11995-073</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.5&#215; Penicillin/Streptomycin</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>15140-122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2 mM L-glutamine</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>25030</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>0.25% trypsin-EDTA</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>25200-056</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Extracellular Matrix (ECM):</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel</td>
			<td>Corning&#160;</td>
			<td>354234</td>
			<td>Aliquot Matrigel stock and store in -80&#176;C following manufacturer&#8217;s instructions. Stock concentration of Matrigel varies slightly from batch to batch (~9mg/ml). We recommend to use 200&#181;l matrigel for coating a 12-well plate (~150&#181;g/well).&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Coating Matrix Kit&#160;</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>R-011-K</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plasmids:&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td rowspan="5">Note that pCXLE-eGFP is only used for monitoring transfection efficiency and is not required for reprogramming.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; pCXLE-eGFP</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>27082</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; pCXLE-hOct3/4-shP53F</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>27077</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; pCXLE-hSK</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>27078</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>-&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; pCXLE-hUL</td>
			<td>Addgene</td>
			<td>27080</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Transfection reagent Fugene HD</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>E231B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gelatin (from porcine skin)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>G1890</td>
			<td>Make up 0.1% gelatin in distilled water. Autoclave before use.&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Reduced Serum medium: OPTI-MEM</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>31985062</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Accutase</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A6964-100ml</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeder</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>MEF can be inactivated by mitomycin C treatment or irradiation as described previously 16.</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>26G needle</td>
			<td>Terumo</td>
			<td>NN2613R</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6-well plate (tissue culture treated)</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences</td>
			<td>353046</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>12-well plate (tissue culture treated)</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences</td>
			<td>353043</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>10 cm dish (tissue culture treated)</td>
			<td>BD Biosciences</td>
			<td>353003</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dispase</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>17105-041</td>
			<td>Use at 10mg/ml</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Collagenase IV</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>17104-019</td>
			<td>Use at 1mg/ml</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TRA-160 antibody</td>
			<td>Millipore</td>
			<td>MAB4360</td>
			<td>Use at 5&#181;g/ml</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>OCT4 antibody</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz</td>
			<td>SC-5279</td>
			<td>Use at 5&#181;g/ml</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NANOG antibody</td>
			<td>R&#38;D Systems</td>
			<td>AF1997</td>
			<td>Use at 10&#181;g/ml</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MycoAlert Detection kit</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>LT07-418</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

generation of integration-free human induced pluripotent stem cells using hair-derived keratinocytes

Recent advances in reprogramming allow us to turn somatic cells into human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Disease modeling using patient-specific hiPSCs allows the study of the underlying mechanism for pathogenesis, also providing a platform for the development of in vitro drug screening and gene therapy to improve treatment options. The promising potential of hiPSCs for regenerative medicine is also evident from the increasing number of publications (>7000) on iPSCs in recent years. Various cell types from distinct lineages have been successfully used for hiPSC generation, including skin fibroblasts, hematopoietic cells and epidermal keratinocytes. While skin biopsies and blood collection are routinely performed in many labs as a source of somatic cells for the generation of hiPSCs, the collection and subsequent derivation of hair keratinocytes are less commonly used. Hair-derived keratinocytes represent a non-invasive approach to obtain cell samples from patients. Here we outline a simple non-invasive method for the derivation of keratinocytes from plucked hair. We also provide instructions for maintenance of keratinocytes and subsequent reprogramming to generate integration-free hiPSC using episomal vectors.

The hair goes through 3 different phases of growth cycle: anagen (the growth phase), catagen (the regression phase) and telogen (the rest phase) 20,21. The anagen hair follicle contains multiple layers of epithelium; these layers include the ORS, IRS and the hair shaft (Figure 1). Anagen hair eventually undergoes transition to the catagen phase, which is marked by apoptosis of the ORS and termination of hair shaft differentiation. Finally, catagen hair transition to the telogen phase, where ap...

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Generation of Integration-free Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Hair-derived Keratinocytes

This manuscript provides a step-by-step procedure for the derivation and maintenance of human keratinocytes from plucked hair and subsequent generation of integration-free human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by episomal vectors.

Recent advances in reprogramming allow us to turn somatic cells into human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Disease modeling using ...

generation-integration-free-human-induced-pluripotent-stem-cells

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JoVE Journal

Developmental Biology

11.4K Views.  University of Melbourne. This manuscript provides a step-by-step procedure for the derivation and maintenance of human keratinocytes from plucked hair and subsequent generation of integration-free human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by episomal vectors. 