Hair Follicle-Derived Epithelial Sheet Has Potential in Vitiligo Treatment

The study explores the use of hair follicle-derived epithelial sheets (HFES) as a novel treatment for vitiligo, addressing the limitations of autologous cultured epithelial grafts (ACEG) which can cause scarring. By optimizing culture conditions, researchers maintained undifferentiated hair follicle cells and directed them to form a multi-layered, epidermis-like sheet. The HFES showed promising results in terms of cell identity, viability, purity, genomic stability, and safety. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that basal keratinocytes were predominant, and transcriptomic analysis revealed increased melanocyte proliferation and melanosome maturation. Transplantation of HFES in patients with stable vitiligo led to successful skin repigmentation, offering a new therapeutic option for vitiligo management.