Gene regulation in human epidermal keratinocytes by a Rho kinase inhibitor (Y-27632)

We previously demonstrated that the lifespan of primary human keratinocytes could be extended indefinitely by culture in the presence of the Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632. Here, gene expression analysis of primary human epidermal keratinocytes cells grown in the presence of Y-27632 demonstrates that ROCK inhibition primarily inhibits keratinocyte differentiation. mRNA profiles of primary HEKs treated with and without the rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 were generated by microarray analysis using Illumina BeadChip.