Immortalization of human keratinocytes with human papilloma virus DNA

Human keratinocytes, derived from the cervix or foreskin, can be immortalized with the HPV-16 or HPV-18 E6 and E7 genes. Two methods of introducing the viral oncogenes into keratinocytes i.e. calcium phosphate transfection and retroviral transduction, are described below, both of which have been optimized for human keratinocytes. While the calcium phosphate transfection method can be used in a normal tissue culture facility, transduction with a retroviral vector containing oncogenes, requires a containment facility and appropriate laboratory practice.