Culture of normal human epidermal cells with 3T3 feeders on millipore filters.

Human epidermal cells were cultured with lethally irradiated 3T3 cells and grew as large colonies both on plastic and millipore filters. Subcultures were possible. The grown colonies were studied morphologically and histologically. The whole intact crossview of epidermal colonies in paraffin sections was obtained from the cell culture on millipore filters. The epidermal cells derived from younger persons had higher efficiency of colony formation than those from older ones. The membrane filter was shown to be good substratum for epidermal cell growth as well as plastic.