[Tissue culture of human skin--a review of experimental methods and applications to dermatologic problems]

The usual methods of skin culture composed of organ culture, explant culture and cell culture were described. In organ culture of normal human skin, some blister diseases models have been used for the study of the mechanisms for producing the skin damage in pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid and epidermolysis bullosa hereditaria. Recent advances in epidermal cell culture system have furnished a potent tool for the study of keratinization at the molecular level. In the present status on tissue culture of human skin, these applications to clinical and laboratory investigations were discussed.