Vitiligo is the most frequent human pigmentary disorder, characterized by progressive autoimmune destruction of mature epidermal melanocytes. Of the current treatments offering partial and temporary relief, ultraviolet (UV) light is the most effective, coordinating an intricate network of keratinocyte and melanocyte factors that control numerous cellular and molecular signaling pathways. This UV‐activated process is a classic example of regenerative medicine, inducing functional melanocyte stem cell populations in the hair follicle to divide, migrate, and differentiate into mature melanocytes that regenerate the epidermis through a complex process involving melanocytes and other cell lineages in the skin. Using an in‐depth correlative analysis of multiple experimental and clinical data sets, we generated a modern molecular research platform that can be used as a working model for further research of vitiligo repigmentation. Our analysis emphasizes the active participation of defined molecular pathways that regulate the balance between stemness and differentiation states of melanocytes and keratinocytes: p53 and its downstream effectors controlling melanogenesis; Wnt/β‐catenin with proliferative, migratory, and differentiation roles in different pigmentation systems; integrins, cadherins, tetraspanins, and metalloproteinases, with promigratory effects on melanocytes; TGF‐β and its effector PAX3, which control differentiation. Our long‐term goal is to design pharmacological compounds that can specifically activate melanocyte precursors in the hair follicle in order to obtain faster, better, and durable repigmentation.

中文翻译：

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再生医学的趋势：通过黑素细胞干细胞动员在白癜风中的色素沉着。

白癜风是人类最常见的色素性疾病，其特征是成熟的表皮黑素细胞逐渐进行自身免疫破坏。在目前提供部分和暂时缓解的治疗方法中，紫外线（UV）是最有效的方法，可以协调控制许多细胞和分子信号传导途径的复杂的角质形成细胞和黑素细胞因子网络。这种紫外线激活的过程是再生医学的典型例子，它诱导毛囊中的功能性黑素细胞干细胞群体分裂，迁移并分化为成熟的黑素细胞，这些黑素细胞通过涉及皮肤中黑素细胞和其他细胞谱系的复杂过程再生表皮。 。通过对多个实验和临床数据集进行深入的相关分析，我们建立了一个现代化的分子研究平台，可作为进一步研究白癜风色素沉着的工作模型。我们的分析强调了调节黑素细胞和角质形成细胞干性和分化状态之间平衡的已定义分子途径的积极参与。Wnt /β-catenin在不同的色素沉着系统中具有增殖，迁移和分化作用；整合素，钙黏着蛋白，四跨膜蛋白和金属蛋白酶，对黑素细胞具有扩散作用；控制分化的TGF-β及其效应物PAX3。我们的长期目标是设计能够特异性激活毛囊中黑素细胞前体的药理化合物，以获得更快，更好和持久的色素沉着。