Organ culture of human skin in chemically defined medium.

Explants of adult human skin were grown in vitro in a chemically defined medium without serum. Under these conditions the epidermis was well maintained for up to 7 days, during which time new stratum corneum formation was observed. Most often the stratum corneum was orthokeratotic and associated with a prominent granular layer. Parakeratotic regions were also evident and these were not associated with a granular layer. During the first 5 days in culture there was a signficant increase in DNA synthesis (as measured radioautographically) and mitosis.