Klausner, M., P. Neal,� B. Breyfogle and J. Kubilus.� Melanoderm�:� An Epidermal Tissue Model Containing Functional Melanocytes.� ATLA 27: 299.� 1999.
Kojic acid � 000501-30-4
Organotypic skin models provide a useful, non-animal method of assessing the irritancy and efficacy properties of various cosmetic products.� To address the modulation of skin pigmentation,� MatTek Corporation has developed MelanoDerm�, a highly differentiated, three-dimensional tissue culture model of human epidermis that contains normal human melanocytes (NHM) and keratinocytes.� NHM within MelanoDerm� exhibit a dendritic morphology, are localized in the basal cell layer, and produce melanin granules which progressively populate the layers of tissue as it is cultured.� Over a 4-week period, cultures become increasingly pigmented with retention of normal epithelial morphology.� Cultures containing NHM derived from black donors show more pigmentation than those containing Caucasian derived NHM and both types of cultures are distinctly darker than NHM-free (EpiDerm�) cultures.� The topical application of kojic acid, a known inhibitor of melanogenesis, significantly reduced, but did not completely inhibit, melanin production and darkening.� These results indicate that this model will be useful for studying melanogenesis, skin pigmentation and other photobiological effects on skin in vitro.