Ángel J. Solís-de la Hoya, Facultad de Medicina y Nutrición, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Dgo., México
Zeidy Y. Fernández-González, Facultad de Medicina y Nutrición, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Dgo., México
Edgar E. Fernández González, Servicio de Ginecología y Obstetricia, Hospital General de Zona No. 1 Dr. Emilio Varela Luján, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Zacatecas, México
Karen J. Serrano-González, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Jal. México
Background/Objective: Vitiligo is a progressive dermopathy characterized by skin depigmentation. Its etiology is multifactorial, involving metabolic factors, polygenic inheritance, and autoimmunity. Treatment options include immunomodulators, melanin analogs, and phototherapy. In refractory cases, cellular therapy has been shown to induce repigmentation, although the degree of efficacy varies. Method: Only clinical trials using cellular concentrates to induce repigmentation in patients with stable vitiligo, published on PubMed from January 2013 to December 2023, were included. Results: A total of 13 controlled clinical trials were included, with an average follow-up of 8.19 months. Three types of cellular concentrates were used: keratinocyte and melanocyte inoculation, follicular cell and melanocyte inoculation, and melanocyte inoculation followed by phototherapy. Repigmentation was considered excellent if skin tone recovery > 75% was achieved in the treated area. Inoculation with melanocytes and follicular cells proved the most effective, achieving excellent repigmentation in 71.15% of patients. The primary adverse effects were erythema, stinging, and pruritus. Conclusions: Cellular therapy for inducing repigmentation in stable vitiligo has demonstrated effectiveness. It is likely that the large number of melanocytes present in hair follicles, in conjunction with the signaling profile of mesenchymal stem cells, contribute to this phenomenon.
Keywords: Vitiligo. Cellular therapy. Repigmentation. Therapeutic efficacy. Review.