Growth and differentiation of human keratinocytes cultured on eye lens capsules.

The efficiency of the outgrowth of human epidermal and hair-follicle-sheath keratinocytes was studied using three different growth substrates: plastic, type-I collagen and bovine eye lens capsules (the Epicult system). It was shown that the eye lens capsule is the best substrate, since a higher percentage of cultures showed outgrowth, and the outgrowth of epidermal keratinocytes was much more rapid. This effect is related to the faster migration (not proliferation) of cells grown on lens capsules as compared to the two other substrates. The view that lens capsules can replace the basement membrane present in vivo was supported by the finding that two basement-membrane components, i.e., laminin and fibronectin, are present on lens capsules. It was shown that, in cultures grown on lens capsules, bullous-pemphigoid antigen is restricted to the basal layer, indicating that the differentiation of these cells is comparable to that of keratinocytes grown on irradiated, non-viable pig dermis.