Keratinocyte-based cell assays: their potential pitfalls.

As an in vitro model system, patient-derived epidermolysis bullosa simplex keratinocytes have had an immense impact on what we know today about keratin filament function and their role in disease development. In the absence of gene therapy, screening compound libraries for new or better drugs is another approach to improve existing treatments for genodermatoses. However in this study, we report of the potential pitfalls when using this type of cell lines as a "reporter" system.

Inclusion bodies as potential vehicles for recombinant protein delivery into epithelial cells.

Background: We present the potential of inclusion bodies (IBs) as a protein delivery method for polymeric filamentous proteins. We used as cell factory a strain of E. coli, a conventional host organism, and keratin 14 (K14) as an example of a complex protein.