Isolation of CD34+ Human Melanocyte Stem Cells from Hair Follicles Ali Ihab Q.1,*, Salih Shahlaa M.1, Abdulla Galawish A.2 1Biotechnology College, Al-Nahrain University, Iraq-Baghdad 2Al-Kindy College of Medicine, Baghdad University, Iraq-Baghdad *Corresponding author: Ihab Q. Ali, E-mail: ihab.biotechnology@yahoo.com
Online published on 4 June, 2019. Abstract Background Melanocytes are specialized neural crest-derived cells. They are responsible for hair, skin and eye pigmentation, so they are specialized pigment-producing cells. Melanoblasts are localized in the bulge region of the hair follicle can transform into melanocyte stem cells (MelSCs) or differentiated melanocytes, which produce melanin pigment. It holds promise for functional therapeutic potential and development for the future cell-based therapy of various diseases caused by defective pigment cells like vitiligo. The aim of this study was to isolate melanocyte stem cells from human hair follicle. Methods: The MelSCs CD34+ population was isolated by Mag Cellect Magnet and assessed for melanocyte stem cell markers by flow cytometry. Results: Results revealed that the isolated CD34+ melanocyte stem cells exhibited higher expression for melanocyte stem cells markers dopachrome tautomerase (DCT) and microphthalmia associated transcription factor (MITF) and differentiation markers melanocytic antigen (PNL2) and tyrosinase (TYR). Conclusion the study revealed an efficient method of isolation of melanocyte stem cells. The cells were confirmed for their characteristics by flow cytometry analysis of positive and negative markers. Functional analyses of the isolated cells would further confirm its usage in cellular therapies for treatment of skin pigmentation disorders. Top Keywords Melanocytes, stem cells, Mesenchymal cells, MelSCs CD34+, flow cytometry. Top |