- 作者: Hsin-Su Yu
- 作者服務機構: Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
- 中文摘要: --
- 英文摘要: concept of vitiligo as a systemic disease will be clearlyestablished only when the mechanisms involved in vitili-go are identified. Recent advances in the fields of neuralcrest cell culture and molecular genetics have openednew perspectives in the understanding of vitiligo. Notonly will this result in better treatments for vitiligopatients, but possibly will also provide a key to triggeringnerve cell regrowth in other nervous diseases.Melanocytes (MCs) are melanin-producing cells of theskin that are derived from neural crest cells. Vitiligo vul-garis is a common depigmentation disorder resultingfrom the destruction of functional MCs in the affectedskin. The three prevailing pathomechanisms of vitiligoare the immune hypothesis, the neural hypothesis andthe autocytotoxic hypothesis. None of these mecha-nisms has been conclusively proven. Melanoblasts(MBs) in the outer root sheath of the hair follicles are thereservoir cells for repigmentation. Recovery from vitiligois initiated by activation and proliferation of these MBs,followed by upward migration to the nearby epidermisthat forms perifollicular pigmentation islands. Migration,proliferation and differentiation of MCs and MBs are reg-ulated by keratinocyte-derived factors and some coatcolor genes. Any therapy for vitiligo must explain notonly the repopulation of MCs but also their functionaldevelopment. In patients with vitiligo, MCs are destroyedin the skin, the eyes, and possibly the ears. However, the
- 中文關鍵字: --
- 英文關鍵字: Melanocyte, Vitiligo, Neural cell, Repigmentation