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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Evaluation of Keratinocyte Proliferation on Two- and Three-dimensional Type I Collagen Substrates
Published on: April 22, 2019
The effect of mechanical strain on protease production by keratinocytes
N Bhadal1, I B Wall, S R Porter
1UCL Eastman Dental Institute, 256 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8LD, UK.
Background:
Intact skin is under constant tension, transmitted from the underlying dermis, but when tension is lost (i.e. upon wounding) protease activity is upregulated.
Objectives:
To investigate the effect of mechanical strain on protease production by both normal and transformed keratinocytes in vitro.
Methods:
Keratinocytes were seeded on to membranes precoated with either type I or type IV collagen. After 48 h medium was replaced with serum-free medium and mechanical strain was applied.
Results:
Mechanical strain resulted in decreased urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) production by normal human keratinocytes (P<0.05) but increased production by transformed keratinocytes (P<0.05) cultured on type I and type IV collagen.
Conclusions:
Differential production of uPA by normal and transformed keratinocytes is relevant in the context of normal function, wound healing and tumorigenesis.
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