The human sebocyte model offers several advantages over the current animal models. Foremost among these is the correlation of in vitro activity with clinical results, which was not true for arotinoids in the animal models. It is also possible to study several parameters (total cell number, [3H]
thymidine uptake,
protein and
lipid composition/synthesis,
hormone response, receptor regulation, etc.) in the same system. The proliferation of isolated sebocytes is inhibited by
retinoids, such as
isotretinoin and
tretinoin, which are known to be clinically active in human
acne. Sebocytes are not responsive to the arotinoid
temarotene, which is active in the aforementioned animal models and against dimethylbenz[a]
anthracene (DMBA)-induced rat mammary
carcinoma but inactive clinically in
acne. Additionally, this model is not responsive to
etretinate, a compound known to be active in
psoriasis but inactive in
acne. The in vitro model is, therefore, more predicative of clinical efficacy than the animal models alone.