Insights into MITF-expressing cells derived from human iPSCs in melanogenesis

Background Currently, surgical treatment options for pigment loss disorders are well-established. Studies have shown that melanocyte transplantation or melanin transplantation can yield favorable outcomes. However, this approach has not been widely adopted. The reasons for this may include insufficient sources of melanocytes, the lengthy process of extracting autologous melanocytes, and the high costs associated with their cultivation. Objective To improve the isolation of highly proliferative melanocytes, we seek to identify surface markers for selecting those with robust proliferative and differentiation potential. Methods Using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) technology to label microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), induced melanocytes are obtained by differentiating pluripotent stem cells, and the proliferative capacity of different cell populations is assessed through a single-cell colony formation assay. Results This study verified that MITF-positive cells possess high proliferative capacity and consequently identified KIT proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase (KIT, CD117) as a characteristic surface marker. Conclusion The use of KIT allows for the isolation of induced melanocytes with high proliferative capacity, thereby improving production efficiency, though it may also lead to the loss of some highly proliferative cell subpopulations.