Autologous cell harvesting device provides repigmentation and improves quality-of-life for patients with stable vitiligo lesions in a large and diverse patient population

Introduction: The mental health burden associated with vitiligo can significantly impact patients' quality-of-life. Although successful for repigmentation of stable vitiligo, adoption of surgical melanocyte transplantation remains limited due to time and skilled-expertise requirements. A cell harvesting device prepares autologous skin cell suspension (ASCS) at point of care, simplifying the process. Objective: To confirm early and favorable repigmentation response and evaluate health-related quality-of-life changes following ASCS treatment of stable vitiligo. Methods: In this large (N = 107), prospective, multicenter study, vitiligo lesions were laser-ablated and received ASCS treatment followed by at-home phototherapy. Results: All Fitzpatrick skin types and major vitiligo subtypes were represented. Excellent repigmentation response (≥80%) was observed by week 4. By week-24, all lesions demonstrated improvement; 67% achieved >50% repigmentation, 42% achieved ≥80% repigmentation, and 8% achieved complete repigmentation. Vitiligo Noticeability Scale response was attained by 27.7% of lesions; 72.3% of patients reported treatment satisfaction. Significant improvement from baseline in Vitiligo Quality-of-Life Instrument (P <.05) was observed at week-24. Limitations: No control. Conclusions: The cell harvesting device provides a simplified, more accessible technique for melanocyte transplantation. ASCS is highly effective for repigmentation of stable vitiligo lesions, with positive patient-reported outcomes and improvement in quality-of-life, as demonstrated in this large, diverse population.