What is Vitiligo?
Vitiligo is a skin condition causing loss of the pigmentation, this results in irregular white patches. People of all ages can be affected with this skin condition. This is caused due to lack of a chemical called as a melanin. Vitiligo can affect any area of your skin, bust most commonly occurs on skin exposed to the sun such as neck, face and hands. This condition varies from person to person as some people get only a few small, white patches but others get bigger white patches which are usually permanent.
Symptoms of vitiligo
The main symptoms of vitiligo is flat, white spots or patches on your skin that usually develops where the skin has been exposed to the sun. It may start as a patch of skin which is paler than the rest and gradually this will become completely white. The centre of a patch may be white with pale skin around it. In areas where there are blood vessels under the skin, the patch is slightly pink rather than white. The edges of the patch may be smooth or irregular and may be sometimes inflamed (red) or there is a hyper pigmentation.
It does not cause any discomfort such as dryness but occasionally the patches may be itchy. The most commonly affected areas by vitiligo include- armpits, genitals, the skin around your mouth and eyes, groin, fingers and wrists, inside your mouth. Sometimes, it can develop where there are hair roots such as on your scalp. The lack of melanin in the skin can turn the hair in the affected area white or grey. There are two main types of vitiligo- non segmental vitiligo and segmental vitiligo. In rare cases, this could affect the whole body and this is known as universal or complete vitiligo.
Causes of vitiligo
This skin condition is caused due to lack of a skin pigment called as a melanin that is produced by skin cells known as melanocytes which gives your skin its colour. It is not clear exactly why the melanocytes disappear from the affected areas of the skin. The causes of vitiligo include autoimmune conditions, neurochemicals, you may be at higher risk of developing non segmental vitiligo if someone from your family has it. Vitiligo may be triggered by stressful events such as childbirth, exposure to certain chemicals at work, damage to your skin such as severe cuts or sunburn. It is not caused by an infection and you cannot catch it from someone else who has this condition.
Stem Cell Therapy for Vitiligo
The stem cells are master cells of the human body which can divide to produce the copies of themselves and many other types of cell. They are found in various parts of the human body at every stage of development from embryo to adult. The stem cells used are mesenchymal stem cells which are derived form the bone marrow. These are multipurpose stem cells which can transform into a variety of cell types that helps in regeneration and repair of the diseased tissues.
In vitiligo the body’s own immune system will attack and damage the colour producing cells of the skin, hence it is considered as an autoimmune disease. The mesenchymal stem cells have been found to have the immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory properties. Administering the mesenchymal stem cells in vitiligo will prevent further damage to melanocytes and reduce the progression of the disease. In an unstable vitiligo, if stabilisation can be achieved, then other therapies like surgery can help with further management. The mesenchymal stem cells will boost the pigmentation over a period of time. The goal of stem cell therapy in vitiligo is to regenerate the damaged colour producing cells of the skin and correct the aberrant immune system.
Advantage of Stem Cell Therapy for Vitiligo
The stem cells are so versatile that they could potentially be used to repair and replace the damaged human tissue. The purpose of experimental stem cell therapy for vitiligo is to offer potential advantages of stem cells that will slow down or stop further deterioration caused by the disease, to see id the stem cells can reverse the effects of the disease.
Get your stem cell therapy for vitiligo in India at Tour2India4Health. All you need to do is send us your detailed medical history, all investigations and relevant test reports and we will assist you to initiate the formal process of consultation with our doctors to ascertain your eligibility for stem cell therapy for vitiligo.
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