In this article we review some of our recent results on the growth of human skin cells in vitro with emphasis on the normal melanocyte. Growth in a defined culture medium of normal human melanocytes isolated from neonatal or adult skin has been achieved. Melanocytes can be routinely cultured in medium MCDB 153 (0.1 mM CaCl2) supplemented with bovine pituitary extract (BPE), insulin, ethanolamine, phosphoethanolamine, hydrocortisone, and 12‐O‐tetradecanoyl phorbol 13‐acetate (TPA). The cells can be propagated for up to 35 cumulative population doublings in this medium. Further studies have shown that the undefined component of the medium, BPE, can be replaced with purified heparin‐binding growth factor type‐2 (also known as basic fibroblast growth factor), HBGF‐2/bFGF, isolated from BPE. Neither epidermal growth factor nor trans‐forming growth factor type‐alpha could replace HBGP‐2/bFGF for the growth of melanocytes. These results are in contrast to the growth factor requirements for normal human fibroblasts or keratinocytes whose proliferation in serum‐free medium can be stimulated by either EGF or HBGF‐2/bFGF. We have examined mRNA isolated from serum‐free cultures of melanocytes, keratinocytes and fibroblasts for expression of the HBGF‐2/bFGF gene. Fibroblasts, but not melanocytes or keratinocytes, express 4 distinct transcripts which hybridize to a specific HBGF‐2/bFGF cDNA probe. Our results suggest that expression of the HBGF‐2/bFGF gene is cell‐type specific and that HBGF‐2/bFGF produced by dermal cells could support the proliferation and/or normal homeostasis of melanocytes and keratinocytes dur