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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Y-27632 Enriches the Yield of Human Melanocytes from Adult Skin Tissues
Published on: July 8, 2020
Platelet-derived growth factor regulates the proliferation and differentiation of human melanocytes in a
Tomohisa Hirobe1, Tatako Shibata2, Rumiko Fujiwara2
1Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
Background:
Although many kinds of keratinocyte-derived factors are known to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of human melanocytes, it is not well defined whether dermis-derived factors work in a similar way.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to clarify whether dermal factors are involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of human melanocytes.
Methods:
Human epidermal melanoblasts were cultured serially in a serum-free growth medium. Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) was supplemented to the medium, and the effects on the proliferation of melanoblasts/melanocytes and the differentiation of melanocytes were studied.
Results:
PDGF-BB stimulated the proliferation of melanoblasts cultured in melanoblast-proliferation medium, but inhibited the proliferation of melanocytes cultured in melanocyte-proliferation medium. By contrast, PDGF-BB stimulated the differentiation, dendritogenesis, and melanogenesis of melanocytes through the stimulation of tyrosinase activity and the expressions of tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that PDGF-BB regulates the proliferation and differentiation of human melanocytes in a differentiation-stage-specific manner. PDGF-BB seems to be one of the dermal factors that regulate the proliferation and differentiation of human melanocytes.
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