Experimental study of hTERT transfection activating telomerase in human dermal papilla cells

Objective: To explicate whether the telomerase can be activated by human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) in human dermal papilla cells (DPC). Methods: The plasmid pIRES2-EGFP and plasmid pIRES2-EGFP-hTERT encoding hTERT were transfected into cultured normal human DPC, then the positive cells were selected with G418. After the positive cells were expanded in culture, the expression of hTERT mRNA was detected by RT-PCR, and the telomerase activity was detected by TRAP-ELISA. Results: The hTERT wasn't expressed at mRNA level and the telomerase activity was negative in untransfected DPC and vacant vector transfected cells(DPC-EGFP). The hTERT was expressed at mRNA level and meanwhile the telomerase activity was positive in pIRES2-EGFP-hTERT transfected cells(DPC-hTERT). Conclusion: Telomerase can be activated by hTERT in human DPC. This is the first step to establish immortalized human DPC line.