Vitiligo: An Autoimmune Skin Disease and its Immunomodulatory Therapeutic Intervention

Vitiligo was a chronic autoimmune skin disorder characterized by the loss of functional melanocytes, leading to depigmented patches. The pathogenesis involved immune T cells, particularly CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and skin-resident memory T cells, which contributed to melanocyte destruction. Advances in understanding vitiligo led to the development of targeted therapies, including Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, which showed therapeutic significance by modulating immune responses. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) emerged as a promising treatment option due to their ability to regulate cytokine secretion and balance T-cell subsets. Despite progress, vitiligo treatment remained challenging, with a high relapse rate, highlighting the need for further research into immunomodulatory interventions.