Stem cell therapies to address skin disorders

Michael Jackson is probably the most well known celebrity to suffer from Vitiligo – a chronic skin condition that is characterised by irregular pale patches in the skin. There are various treatments available but none that address the root cause of de-pigmentation. Stempeutics Researchers have recently found that Mesenchymal stem cell therapy may very well be the answer to those suffering from this disease. In association with Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, Stempeutics is now planning on offering this novel therapy, on an experimental basis, to patients with unstable Vitiligo.
“Vitiligo affects one per cent of the worldwide population, causing disfigurement and resulting in serious depression because of the social stigma attached to it,” said Dr. Krupa Shanker, Head-Department of Dermatology, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore.
Depending on the spread of lesions, Vitiligo can be classified as stable or unstable. The normal brown or black colour of the skin is produced by cells called melanocytes, found at the lowest layer of epidermis. In Vitiligo, there is destruction or inactivation of melanocytes, the colour producing cells of the skin. It is an autoimmune disease which means the body’s own immune system is damaging the melanocytes. Why this happens is not clear yet.
Elaborating on this research, Dr. Satish Totey, Chief Scientific Officer, Stempeutics Research, Pvt. Ltd. said, “The newer therapies for Vitiligo are aimed at correcting misbehaviour by the WBCs. Mesenchymal stem cells are a specific type of stem cells found in the bone marrow which have immunomodulatory properties, making them useful in treating autoimmune disorders by
cell therapy.”  
Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) are present as a rare population of cells in bone marrow, but they can rapidly grow in culture without loosing their stemness. Human mesenchymal stem cells can be multiplied and expanded in a laboratory >=1 million –fold. The hMSC are ideal candidates for cell therapy because of ease of isolation, high expansion potential, genetic stability, reproducible attributes from isolate to isolate, reproducible characteristics, compatibility with tissue engineering principles and potential to enhance repair in many vital tissues.
Stempeutics Researchers have found that stem cell therapy might be effective in ameliorating the basic pathology of Vitiligo. Inhibition of the autoimmune processes can prevent further spread of lesions and thus stabilise Vitiligo, paving the way for the use of other established therapies.