Breakthrough Vitiligo Treatment Uses Gut Bacteria to Restore Skin Pigmentation
A new probiotic-based therapy has shown remarkable success in mice, reducing pigmentation loss by 74%, offering hope for millions affected by vitiligo.
Watan-A new breakthrough offers hope for people suffering from vitiligo, a skin condition that causes loss of pigmentation. The innovative treatment, which has shown remarkable success in mice, is based on a natural compound produced by beneficial gut bacteria.
According to New Atlas, citing the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder in which melanocytes—cells responsible for producing melanin—are attacked and destroyed in certain areas of the skin. This results in white patches that, while not harmful, can significantly affect a person’s appearance.
Although steroid creams and other treatments exist, they are not effective for everyone and can have undesirable side effects.
The Role of Gut Bacteria
Recent studies have shown that in vitiligo-affected skin, there is an imbalance in the natural microbial community. Specifically, beneficial bacteria that protect melanocytes are lacking, while harmful bacteria are more abundant.
With this in mind, researchers from Northwestern University investigated Bacillus subtilis, a probiotic bacterium found in the gut and soil. They engineered a modified version of the bacterium to produce higher amounts of bioactive molecules known as exopolysaccharides (EPS), which are known to suppress unwanted immune responses.
Remarkable Success Rate
In lab tests on vitiligo-affected mice, one group received weekly EPS injections for 18 weeks, while a control group remained untreated. While the control group showed no changes, the treated mice exhibited an astonishing 74% reduction in pigmentation loss on their backs.
Tissue analysis revealed a 63.6% decrease in cytotoxic T cells, which attack melanocytes, and a 1.7-fold increase in regulatory T cells, which protect melanocytes.
Lead researcher Professor Caroline Le Poole commented, “The results in our model were striking. Weekly administration of a microbial compound significantly suppressed disease progression. It made an incredible difference in an aggressive model of vitiligo.”
Further research will evaluate the treatment’s effectiveness in humans and its long-term effects. In the future, EPS may be formulated into a topical cream or food additive, eliminating the need for weekly injections.
