Vitiligo | Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals news and discussion blog

Susceptibility genes for nonsegmental vitiligo

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Nonsegmental vitiligo is a common pigmentary disorder where the skin gradually loses its colour (melanin) in patches. It is unknown precisely what causes the condition, though it is generally thought to be a result of autoimmune damage to the pigment-producing cells, called melanocytes. Vitiligo is a complex, multifactorial disease, meaning that it occurs as a result of interactions between ones genes and their environment. The fact that vitiligo often presents in close relatives (10-30% of vitiligo patients report a family history of the disorder) indicates that, to some extent, it is a heritable condition. In other words, in some cases a person’s genetic make-up can predispose them to vitiligo. (more…)

Afamelanotide: an analogue of α-MSH designed to assist in vitiligo repigmentation

Monday, July 25th, 2011

Vitiligo is a common skin depigmentation disorder in which the melanocytes, the skin cells which produce melanin pigment, are progressively lost. Despite this, melanocyte stem cells, or immature melanocytes, are preserved in a special region within hair follicles called the bulge, or niche. Often these cells are able to be stimulated with narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy to mature into fully functional melanocytes which migrate to the epidermis to replace the lost or damaged cells. Upon further exposure to UVB radiation, skin cells (keratinocytes) manufacture a hormone called alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, or α-MSH. Alpha-MSH binds to receptors on the newly formed melanocytes and activates melanin production to repigment areas of skin affected by vitiligo. (more…)

A new treatment regime

Friday, July 15th, 2011

This is the second of a two part series on vitiligo treatment from guest blogger Liz Tyler, to read the first part, click here. Liz runs @VitiligoProject and the Vitiligo Project blog, an initiative she founded to help others, like her, who are living with vitiligo.

I’ve had vitiligo since childhood and, like many others who have the disorder, I find it a challenge to live with. Whether you’re able to accept your vitiligo or not, it’s needless to say it takes a lot of getting used to. For me, I’ve never been completely comfortable with my skin and with a career in marketing and PR, where image is really important, I’ve always been willing to try new treatments and look for therapies that could help cure it. (more…)

Diagnosis and early treatment of vitiligo

Monday, July 11th, 2011

We’re delighted to host guest blogger Liz Tyler. Liz runs @VitiligoProject and the Vitiligo Project blog, an initiative she founded to help others, like her, who are living with vitiligo. This is the first of a two part series on Liz’s personal treatment experience.

I’ve had vitiligo for thirteen years and like many, my journey of living with vitiligo hasn’t been an easy one. In this day and age when we’re all made to think we need to look like Kate Moss – it’s needless to say having patchy skin is a setback. (more…)

Follicular repigmentation in vitiligo – narrowband UVB phototherapy

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Figures 1 & 2. A vitiligo patient before and after NB-UVB treatment. Images courtesy of Pearl E Grimes, MD.

Vitiligo is a common skin depigmentation disorder in which the melanocytes, the skin cells which produce melanin pigment, are progressively lost. Clinically, when vitiliginous lesions (the ‘patches’ of skin which have lost their pigment) are repeatedly exposed to an intensive dose of narrowband UVB radiation (308 or 311-313nm), it is common to see small spots, sometimes described as ‘freckles’ or ‘islands’, of repigmentation forming within the lesion. This occurs because the melanocytes producing this melanin have developed from stem cells reserved in the bulge region of the hair follicle, known as the niche. Their development is stimulated by NB-UVB and they migrate to the skin directly surrounding the hair follicle from which they were derived. As the melanocytes continue to travel through the skin and produce melanin, these ‘islands’ begin to spread and merge, eventually creating broader, but seldom perfect, repigmentation in the treated area (see Figures 1 & 2). (more…)

Melanocyte stem cells

Friday, June 17th, 2011

Human skin consists of a number of different cells. The majority of the top layer of the skin is made up of keratinocytes which are produced constantly and migrate to the surface of the skin where they ‘slough off’ as dead skin.

Melanocytes, the cells which produce pigment in the skin, lie below the keratinocytes at the base of the epidermis (see the figure, click to enlarge). Melanocytes also exist at the root of the hair follicle, in the matrix of the inner root sheath or shaft, and are responsible for giving hair its colour. The dermis, the layer of the skin beneath the epidermis, consists mostly of collagen, elastic tissue and reticulum fibres, along with some specialised nerves and glands. The bases of hair follicles are also embedded in this middle layer of skin.

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Cellular messaging leading to melanin production

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Each cell within the body has one or more receptors; molecules on or within the cell to which other molecules, called ligands, bind. This binding causes a series of chemical reactions within the cell, called a ‘signaling pathway’. Signaling pathways are responsible for cellular responses, allowing other cells and external elements to alter how a cell functions. There are two types of ligands which bind to receptors: agonists, which then promote a response in the pathway, and antagonists, which lead to an alternate response. (more…)

The Social Stigma of Vitiligo in Africa – Part 2

Friday, May 6th, 2011

This is the second blog in a two-part series by Ogo Maduewesi of the Vitiligo Support and Awareness Foundation (www.vitsaf.org); to view the first part, click here. In this post Ogo continues her discussion about the types of difficulties West Africans with vitiligo confront on a daily basis.

Although people – particularly in my country, Nigeria – will always give you the impression that they don’t have an issue with vitiligo, many do segregate or ostracise those with the condition, especially in the rural areas. There is a social stigma attached to vitiligo, affecting the social well-being of patients. Especially in African countries, where the people are dark-skinned and the contrast to their natural skin tone is more obvious. (more…)

The Social Stigma of Vitiligo in Africa – Part 1

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

In the first of a two-part series, guest blogger Ogo Maduewesi, founder of the Vitiligo Support and Awareness Foundation (www.vitsaf.org), speaks candidly about the stigma associated with vitiligo and the challenges faced by sufferers in West Africa.

Vitiligo is a hugely stigmatised condition, especially in Africa. Facing not only a visible, disfiguring skin problem, many patients also endure psychological, psychosocial and emotional stress from the disease and its stigma. This usually results in increased susceptibility to vitiligo: the stress of stigmatisation can often lead to further progression of the disease. (more…)

‘Measuring’ vitiligo: the challenges of clinical and treatment evaluation

Monday, April 4th, 2011

Since our announcement last year that Clinuvel would commence a new program for SCENESSE® (afamelanotide) in nonsegmental vitiligo, the company has received vast interest in the application of the drug in this disease. Of the enquiries that best captured the essence of this program, one stood out: a US based analyst asked how the company intended to objectively measure the response to treatment, the repigmentation of vitiliginous lesions, in its trial. (more…)