A Systematic Review of Case Series and Clinical Trials Investigating Regenerative Medicine for the Treatment of Vitiligo

This systematic review analyzed 48 studies involving 2,186 patients to evaluate the efficacy and safety of regenerative medicine treatments for vitiligo. Key findings indicate that autologous non-cultured melanocyte-keratinocyte transplantation and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, especially when combined with NB-UVB phototherapy and laser treatments, showed significant repigmentation. Autologous transplantation achieved over 50% repigmentation within 9 months, while PRP averaged 58.7% repigmentation, particularly effective with CO2 laser treatment. Hair follicle-derived cell transplantation also showed promising results, with good to excellent outcomes in up to 93.8% of patients. Side effects were mostly minor, with no serious adverse events reported. The review concludes that regenerative medicine is effective and safe for treating vitiligo, though further trials are needed to explore other methods like stromal vascular fraction and exosomes.