Promising Patient Outcomes With Autologous Skin Cell Suspension Transplantation for Vitiligo

A new study highlights the effectiveness of autologous skin cell suspension (ASCS) transplantation in treating stable vitiligo, showing positive patient-reported outcomes and significant repigmentation improvements, according to a poster from the Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis June 2024 meeting.

The study utilized a point-of-care cell harvesting device to prepare non-cultured ASCS, which includes melanocytes, keratinocytes, and fibroblasts, for the surgical treatment of stable vitiligo. This method aims to achieve a 1:20 donor-to-treatment site expansion ratio, providing an innovative approach to treating vitiligo lesions.

Researchers conducted a multi-center, randomized, within-subject controlled trial to compare laser ablation, ASCS, and NB-UVB phototherapy (ASCS treatment) to NB-UVB phototherapy alone (control). A central review committee of blinded dermatologists evaluated the repigmentation of lesions at 24 weeks post-treatment, categorizing them into 4 groups based on the percentage of repigmentation achieved. The repigmentation data were analyzed using a Wilcoxon signed rank test.

The study included 25 patients, predominantly White (80%), with 40% having Fitzpatrick skin type III and approximately half (48%) having generalized vitiligo. The results at Week 24 showed that 24% of ASCS-treated lesions achieved up to 25% repigmentation compared to 52% of control lesions. However, 36% of ASCS-treated lesions achieved ≥80% repigmentation, while none of the control lesions reached this level (P<0.001).

Patient-reported treatment success was notably higher for ASCS-treated areas, with 80% of patients reporting success compared to 48% for control areas. Donor site satisfaction was high, with 88% of patients expressing satisfaction. Furthermore, significantly more ASCS-treated areas achieved favorable Vitiligo Noticeability Scale scores and Patient Global Impression of Change-Vitiligo scores compared to control areas (P<0.001 for both measures).

Overall, the study concluded that ASCS-treated areas demonstrated superior repigmentation and patient satisfaction compared to control areas, suggesting that ASCS treatment could significantly enhance the psychological well-being and quality of life for patients with stable vitiligo.

Reference

Silverberg N, the RSVP Study Vitiligo Working Group. Positive patient-reported outcomes following treatment of stable vitiligo with autologous skin cell suspension transplantation prepared by a point-of-care cell harvesting device. Poster presented at: Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis; June 8-10, 2024; Chicago, IL.