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Updated: Oct 10, 2026

Cultivating a Three-dimensional Reconstructed Human Epidermis at a Large Scale
Published on: May 28, 2021
Immortalized keratinocyte cell lines for tissue engineered 3D skin and epidermal modeling: prospects, challenges, and
Jaimy A Klijnhout1, Stefania P Bruno2, Nuria Pell3
1Department of Dermatology, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Immortalized human epidermal keratinocytes, including HaCaT, N/TERT-1, and N/TERT-2G keratinocytes, are increasingly being used as alternatives to primary human keratinocytes to produce epidermal and full-thickness skin equivalents. The use of immortalized cell lines requires a critical evaluation of their genotypes and functional characteristics to establish their suitability to model the epidermis in vitro. Here, we assess the accumulating evidence-based experimental data on HaCaT, N/TERT-1, and N/TERT-2G keratinocytes, as well as additional immortalized keratinocyte cell lines, to aid the skin biology community in choosing the most appropriate cells for modeling the epidermis and skin.
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