The article by Howard Green, Olaniyi Kehinde, and Judith Thomas discusses the cultivation of human epidermal cells and their potential for grafting. Recent advancements have significantly improved the cultivability of epidermal keratinocytes, allowing single cultured cells to generate stratified colonies that eventually fuse to form an epithelium resembling the epidermis. The authors highlight that large amounts of epithelium can be obtained from a small piece of epidermis in a short time, making it a promising resource for surgeons and cell biologists. The behavior of cultured human epidermal cells has been extensively studied, with early work focusing on explanted fragments. Later, disaggregated cell culture methods were developed to increase proliferation, but these often lacked serial cultivability due to overgrowth by fibroblasts. Rheinwald and Green discovered that supporting 3T3 cells or other fibroblasts could enable serial cultivation of epidermal cells, forming stratified squamous epithelia. These cultures retain the cytologic features of keratinocytes and do not develop established lines. Recent improvements in cultivation include the addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and agents that increase cellular cyclic AMP (cAMP), such as cholera toxin and isoproterenol. These additions enhance colony expansion and growth rate, particularly in cultures from older donors. The authors also describe a method for detaching confluent epidermal sheets from the culture dish using the neutral protease Dispase, which preserves the viability and colony-forming ability of the cells. The potential applications of this technology include the treatment of burns, where large amounts of autologous epithelium are needed. However, the cultured epithelium may lack certain cell types found in normal epidermis, such as Langerhans cells, pigment cells, and Merkel cells. Despite these limitations, the large yield of autologous epithelium suggests its potential for therapeutic use.The article by Howard Green, Olaniyi Kehinde, and Judith Thomas discusses the cultivation of human epidermal cells and their potential for grafting. Recent advancements have significantly improved the cultivability of epidermal keratinocytes, allowing single cultured cells to generate stratified colonies that eventually fuse to form an epithelium resembling the epidermis. The authors highlight that large amounts of epithelium can be obtained from a small piece of epidermis in a short time, making it a promising resource for surgeons and cell biologists. The behavior of cultured human epidermal cells has been extensively studied, with early work focusing on explanted fragments. Later, disaggregated cell culture methods were developed to increase proliferation, but these often lacked serial cultivability due to overgrowth by fibroblasts. Rheinwald and Green discovered that supporting 3T3 cells or other fibroblasts could enable serial cultivation of epidermal cells, forming stratified squamous epithelia. These cultures retain the cytologic features of keratinocytes and do not develop established lines. Recent improvements in cultivation include the addition of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and agents that increase cellular cyclic AMP (cAMP), such as cholera toxin and isoproterenol. These additions enhance colony expansion and growth rate, particularly in cultures from older donors. The authors also describe a method for detaching confluent epidermal sheets from the culture dish using the neutral protease Dispase, which preserves the viability and colony-forming ability of the cells. The potential applications of this technology include the treatment of burns, where large amounts of autologous epithelium are needed. However, the cultured epithelium may lack certain cell types found in normal epidermis, such as Langerhans cells, pigment cells, and Merkel cells. Despite these limitations, the large yield of autologous epithelium suggests its potential for therapeutic use.