Enhancement of dermal fibroblast isolation method

Abstract

© 2015 University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Science. All right reserved. Cultivated fibroblasts have been widely used in a large number of in vitro studies. Although they readily proliferate under cell culture conditions, improvements in methods for their isolation are necessary. Here, we present our modified enzyme digestion method and compare its efficiency with commonly used techniques. Three foreskin samples from young, middle-aged and old donors were used. The classical explant, standard enzyme digestion method with collagenase and our improved enzyme digestion method were compared for efficiency of fibroblast isolation and the time needed to achieve 95% confluence in a 30-mm Petri dish. The explant method was the slowest to achieve fibroblast confluence, especially with the tissues from the older donors (up to 23 days). With the standard enzyme digestion method, the skin tissue was partially digested, but the fibroblasts reached confluence much faster (the younger donor cells needed approximately 7 days to reach confluence). Our modified “mixed” enzyme digestion method was the fastest (the fibroblasts from the younger donors needed up to 5 days to reach confluence). For studies requiring the primary isolation and cultivation of dermal fibroblasts, the best method to achieve this goal is the tissue digestion method with the multiple enzyme solution.