Hi Friends,
I have reasons to believe that vitiligo patches are caused by a protein called MIA that detaches melanocytes. As a matter of fact, that's Dr. Matteo's theory that I agree 100% (www.researchforvitiligo.com).
Recently I realized that this MIA protein has 2 cellular sources, which are (1) melanocyte/keratinocytes from skin, and (2) chondrocytes from cartilage of joints. Both sources produce MIA when submitted to friction and traumas (daily actvities).
So, putting all together I came up with a suggested explanation to 3 different vitiligo treatment reponses. See below:
1- Vitiligo on face:
Usually Protopic helps to re-pigment. Why? Because there are no joints on face. There are a lot of physical traumas and friction from (1) daily pressure against the pillow (bone protuberance), (2) shaving, and (3) make-ups. So MIA production is low / moderate, since it comes from one source only. Melanocyte production can beat MIA production (which is not high) with the help of this immunosuppressant (Protopic). Protopic helps the microinflammation that detaches melanocytes causing patches.
2- Vitiligo on knees / elbows:
Usually Pseudocatalase cream works fine. Why? It remove the H2O2 in the hair follicles. Melanocyte production (stem cells) are abundant. MIA production is abundant too, since it comes from both joints and melanocytes. Protopic can not handle by itself. Pseudocatalase cream clears all the follicles, letting it release young melanocytes. So, melanocyte production can beat MIA production.
3- Vitiligo on hands / feet:
Usually nothing helps much. Why? MIA production is hyper abundant in hands and feet, since there are a lot of joints. MIA production beats melanocyte production easily, since there are a few hair follicles there. The only way to reduce MIA production in hands and feet is stopping it from being produced in the joints. It seems that this new drug tofacitinib can do it since it's a kinase inhibitor.
Sorry for this long post. I hope someone be interested in discussing it.
Additionally, check www.vitiligomap.com.
Replies
Hi Flavio
Thank you for sharing your research & theories on this, it is really very interesting. I do not mean to be controversial but just think some interesting philosophical questions are ...
*if vitiligo patients bodies are generating MIA in response to excessive sun exposure is this for a good reason and we shouldn'tt interfere with our bodies protective mechanisms.?
*Can I accept my vitiligo if i knew it was lowering my risk of melanoma? then maybe it's not so bad to have it?
(e.g. my vitiligo started after I used tanning beds a few times and also moved to Perth with high temps and high UV which i now know puts me at a much higher risk of melanoma than most.
Vitligo is devastating, I will not dispute this, but it is mostly painless and not life-threatening to our knowledge.
For context, I am an undergrad science student who recently had to research melanoma, which is one of the most devastating forms of cancer, and the 3rd most common in my country Australia. I learnt how critical avoidance of sun exposure (both UVA and UVB) and skin monitoring is, to avoid this incurable disease. The difference between melanoma prognosis and outcomes is miniscule, IE if it goes over 1.0mm it is considered to be deep and at high risk of metastasis. it is one of the biggest killers in USA, UK and Australia, so we need to remember it's scary stuff and keep perspective where we can. Of course there is much more to learn about MIA too and exaclty how it works!
I could offer that i never cared about my vitiligo less, than the day i was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
The info you have above is fascinating and makes a lot of sense, but I would also offer that I find it hugely coincidental that i had a cancer that is also caused by excess H2O2, so i think there's likely a a diet/biochemical component to this also that could determine "when" a friction even may or may not trigger vitiligo. Also a side note I have NSV and all of my vitiligo lesions have been triggered by friction ( have about 40% of body)
Can i thank you sincerely for your time and research, from a vitiligo patient who was diagnosed before the internet took off I am actually beginning to feel positive that a cure will be found in my lifetime. All of this can give hope to other patients who have been diagnosed and are looking for updated info. GP's seem to be the last to be informed!
Best regards,
erin
Hi Erin,
Thanks for your interest. All my research is based on medical papers, which are fully available in the internet.
According to my studies, MIA is generated by 3 things:
1- friction/traumas/sun burns
2- oxidative stress
3- stress hormones
It woudn't be a problem if vitiligo sufferers had a good melanocyte adhesion mechanism, but they don't. So, that's the real problem!
Maybe MIA is also generated in non-vitiligo sufferes, but the adhesion mechanism is good enough to preserve melanocytes attached to the basal layer.
So, answering your first question, the protective mechanism doesn't expect this genect defect, which is the defective adhesion mechanism indeed.
* I think Melanomas are the typical (known) case when melonocytes are not well adhered. So, MIA has to detach them, since it's its function. I don't see any relationship between vitiligo and melanoma, othe than that.
In your case, the tanning beds were only the trigger, not the cause. Your body was ready to start vitiligo, since causes were present already.
See this model: http://www.vitiligomap.com/images/model.png
Fight vitiligo! Always... Body is always ready to recover, but you have to deal with pre-emptively, correctively, and generic actions (http://www.vitiligofriends.org/forum/topics/ah-crap?commentId=69052... ).
Regarding Melanoma study, google the following researcher: Dr. Anja-Katrin Bosserhoff. She is amazing !
Cancer, vitiligo, any auto-imune disease have a lot in common. The major commonness is "Starvingness". I.e., body's got starved for a long time (even at fetal time), so that cells changed their behavior. It's hopefully reversible if you provide the right missing nutrients.
It would be a great pleasure to share my research with a such interesting person like you. I'm pretty sure we could, in a certain way, help other researchers to find a cure or a relief.
Best regards.
Please check www.vitiligomap.com for more details.
Hi Flavio-
Does Dr. Matteo talk at all about diet and supplementation?
Not really. He talks about anti-oxidants in general, in a more corretive approach than preemptive. So, he confirms that oxidative stress is a serious issue.
He also believes Elidel helps to keep MIA apart.
hi flavio, do you think if this drug tofacitinib can help vitiligo on hands/feet, it will be able to treat vitiligo on other body parts as well? thanks
Yes, it's possible. Specially near to joints like knees and elbows.
But the treatment should be combined with UVB-NB phototherapy.
i have had repigmentation on hands and feet though....
How did you achieve that? Please let us know. I know it's not impossible, however hard to achieve.
well when i first got diagnosed or like actually saw white spots i went to an ayurvedic doctor in my own country which i took for about a month and another one is i went to india because of well peer pressure from my mothers relatives and friends and we stopped the current one and i went there for 11 days but after that i remember that the little spot in my face grew bigger and also that i had well a new spot but it was not big. and then i stopped medication. i also recalled something known as kingston(i will ask my mother when she is awake) which my mother asked me to drink. but i recalled having few spots on the sides of my feet and they are gone! for my hands i used protopic but its slow.... so i am not really sure which caused it to go away. it could nt be the doctor in india because there were new spots. the doctor in singapore gave me a medicine to clean my gut and my blood system and also kingston. so my guess it might be the doctor in singapore or the kingston.
Hi I am from singapore can you please tell me which doctor are you visiting? and what is Kingston? please help me
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