Cell Specification
Oral keratinocytes act as the major barrier to physical, microbial, and chemical agents that may cause local cell injury. They are involved in the proinflammatory process through the production of cytokines either constitutively or after a variety of stimuli [1], implying that they may potentially participate in controlling oral infections through an inflammatory process involving different interleukins, such as IL-1ß and IL-18 [2]. Oral keratinocytes express a variety of differentiation markers, the expression of which is influenced by calcium-induced changes in the transcription of target genes [3]. Oral keratinocytes share major structural and functional features with the well-characterized dermal keratinocyte and provide a good model to study basic keratinocyte biology as well as processes of immortalization and malignant transformation.

HOK from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from human oral mucosa. HOK are cryopreserved on passage one culture and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 10⁵ cells in 1 ml volume. HOK are characterized by immunofluorescent method with antibodies to cytokeratine-8, -18 and -19. HEK are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast and fungi. HOK are guaranteed to further expand for 15 population doublings in the condition provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories.

Recommended Medium
It is recommended to use Oral Keratinocyte Medium (OKM, Cat. No. 2611) for the culturing of HOK in vitro.

Product Use
HOK are for research use only. It is not approved for human or animal use, or for application in in vitro diagnostic procedures.

Storage
Directly and immediately transfer cells from dry ice to liquid nitrogen upon receiving and keep the cells in liquid nitrogen until cell culture needed for experiments.

Shipping
Dry ice.

Reference
[1]. Lundqvist, C., Baranov, V., Teglund, S., Hammarstrom, S. and Hammarstrom, M.L. (1994) Cytokine profile and ultrastructure of intraepithelial gamma delta T cells in chronically inflamed human gingiva suggest a cytotoxic effector function. J. Immunol. 153:2302-2312.
[2]. M. Rouabhia, G. Ross, N. Page, and J. Chakir (2002) Interleukin-18 and Gamma Interferon Production by Oral Epithelial Cells in Response to Exposure to Candida albicans or Lipopolysaccharide Stimulation. Infect. Immun. 70:7073-7080.
[3]. Presland, R.B. and Dale, B.A. (2000) Epithelial structural proteins of the skin and oral cavity: function in health and disease. Crit. Rev. Oral Biol. Med. 11:383-408.