Melanocytes: From Morphology to Application

Melanocytes in human skin are intricately regulated by keratinocytes and the surrounding stroma. The development of melanoma is thought to arise from disrupted melanocyte homeostasis. It is now known that microenvironment plays a major role in maintenance of cellular homeostasis and can contribute to tumor initiation and tumor progression. Historically, melanocyte studies have been performed in two-dimensional culture systems, and often with melanocytes cultured in the absence of keratinocytes. Here we present the biological basis for the use of organotypic, three-dimensional model systems in the study of melanoma, and highlight the features of the most utilized organotypic model systems.