Pigment cell transplantation for treatment of vitiligo: a progress report

Abstract

Background: Because available treatments for vitiligo generally provide unsatisfactory results, the search for viable therapeutic alternatives continues.

Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate several transplantation procedures with cultured autologous melanocytes for their practicality in treating patients with vitiligo.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients with stable or active vitiligo were treated after superficial dermabrasion with application of suspensions of autologous cultured melanocytes, melanocyte-keratinocyte mixtures, or epidermal sheets established in vitro.

Results: Regardless of disease activity, use of each method resulted in repigmentation to a similar degree and without scarring in all patients. Melanocyte suspensions offer several advantages: They are easily prepared, can be applied in a controlled manner, permit coverage of large areas, and produce a homogeneous skin color that affords the best cosmetic restoration. The ultrastructure of transplant sites resembled that of uninvolved skin, with one exception: the melanocytes were located slightly higher than in uninvolved skin.

Conclusion: Application of cultured autologous melanocytes to lightly abraded skin is an advantageous addition to the treatments available for patients with vitiligo.