Thanks to a skin cell transplant, there is a chance for a more effective treatment of vitiligo, a disease from which Michael Jackson suffered, reports BBC News / Health.
Vitiligo (in Latin vitiligo) is a disease in which discolored patches appear on the skin. This has to do with the dying of melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin color. Melanocytes produce melanin which colors our skin, eyes and hair.
The exact causes of vitiligo are not fully understood, it may be the result of a set of genetic, environmental and autoimmune factors. About 1 in 100 people have vitiligo.
Specialists from Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi’s team from Detroit transplanted healthy skin cells under local anesthesia to 32 patients and patients aged 18 to 60 years who had discoloration on the skin (hands, arms, legs, feet, abdomen). Melanocytes and keratinocytes taken from healthy skin were spread over the affected area and covered with a special dressing
Thanks to this method, known as MKTP for short, approximately 52 percent of the skin’s natural color was regained, and in a particular form of the disease – approximately 74 percent. In some cases, especially in patients with dark skin and spots in only one area of the body, the treatment turned out to be more effective than the current methods – light treatment (phototherapy) and medications. (PAP)