Formation of epidermis by serially cultivated human epidermal cells transplanted as an epithelium to athymic mice.

Human epidermal cells were grown serially in surface culture by inoculation of suspensions of disaggregated cells. Single cells grew into colonies and the colonies fused to make a confluent epithelium. The epithelium was detached as a unit and transplanted onto a graft bed prepared in athymic mice. Such grafts formed epidermis complete with stratum corneum. Although they became considerably reduced in area, the grafts remained healthy for as long as 108 days after grafting. The human origin of the grafts was demonstrated with a species-specific antiserum to a precursor protein of the cross-linked envelope.