Therapeutic Potential of Patient iPSC-Derived Melanocytes in Autologous Transplantation
April 2019
in “
Cell reports
”
TLDR Patient-derived melanocytes can potentially treat vitiligo by restoring skin pigmentation.
The study demonstrated that human iPSC-derived melanocytes (hiMels) from vitiligo patients, generated using a three-dimensional system, exhibited characteristics similar to human epidermal melanocytes and were involved in vitiligo-associated signaling pathways. In vivo experiments showed that these hiMels localized in the mouse hair bulb and epidermis, producing melanin for up to 7 weeks post-transplantation. Additionally, hiMelanocyte stem cells integrated into the bulge-subbulge regions. These findings highlighted the potential of hiMels for long-term reconstitution of pigmented hair follicles and integration into normal skin regions, suggesting a promising personalized cellular therapy for depigmentation.
