earticle

영어

Vitiligo is one of the most psychologically devastating skin diseases. characterized by areas of
depigmented skin resulting from loss of epidermal melanocytes. The prevalence of this disease varies from 0.1% to 2% in various global populations. It is known that the existance of inactive melanoblasts in hair root follicles provide a melanocyte source for repigmentation in Vitiligo. Differentiation and migration of these melanocytes precursors from the outer root sheath of hair follicles into clinically depigmented epidermis is crucial for the repigmentation in Vitiligo therapy. An effective treatment regime has been proposed that would stimulate the inactive melanoblasts in the hair follicle to divide, proliferate and migrate upward along the surface of outer root sheath to the nearby epidermis. Melanoblasts are defined as unpigmented but committed precursors of melanocytes. The characteristic phenotype of melanoblasts includes a lack of expression of tyrosinase and no DOPA staining or melanin production, Thus, those cells provide an ideal model for studing the effect of natural herbs on differentiation of unpigmented melanoblasts to pigmented melanocytes, and to characterize the mechanisms involved.To evaluate the potential of herbal candidates in treatment of Vitiligo, we studied its effects on the differentiation, proliferation and migration of melanoblast cells. Crude herbal extract was added to the complete RPMI medium, and its effect on differentiation, proliferation and migration of melanoblasts were investigated. Selected herbal candidates induced 67% to 70% melanin induction and differentiation. Transwell migration assay showed the potential of these candidates to induce direct migration of treated cells. The findings of present study are significant in the direction of
developing safer strategies for Vitiligo treatment.