An efficient method for gene knock-down by RNA interference in human skin mast cells.

Mast cells (MCs) from human skin have been notoriously resistant to gene manipulation, and a method to knock-down gene expression in in situ differentiated MCs is highly desired. The Dharmacon Accell® transfection system proved successful on several "difficult-to-transfect" cells. In the present work, we therefore tested this method on skin-derived MCs using different siRNA entities. The siRNA was readily taken up, followed by pronounced, specific reduction of gene and protein expression. Hence, we present the first efficient technique for the manipulation of gene expression in primary skin MCs ex vivo, which combines high transfection rates with retained cell viability.