Research progress towards skin repigmentation in vitiligo

Abstract

Vitiligo is a common skin disease that results from depigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes due to the destruction of functional melanocytes (MCs). Vitiligo is caused by the interactions of multiple susceptibility genes and acquired immune-related factors. The autologous transplantation of MCs is one of the most effective surgical treatment options for patients with refractory quiescent vitiligo who do not respond to medical treatment and phototherapy. At present, cell suspension transplantation still faces many challenges, including damage to MCs during the operation, failure to ensure the adhesion of MCs at the recipient area, and a poor cell survival environment within a short period of time after transplantation. Therefore, the transplantation of MC patches has significant advantages. Chitosan can not only promote the adhesion, proliferation and migration of MCs, but also induces MCs to form spheroids, which greatly improves the activity of MCs and improves the repigmentation rate of the skin after transplantation. The properties of the matrix material used and the density of seeded MCs influence the process of spheroid formation. In the future, it is necessary to develop better MC patches to improve the success rate of vitiligo treatment.