Vitiligo is a skin condition wherein the patient loses pigment on the skin. This happens when the pigment cells of the skin are not able to function or when they die. Some celebrities who have the condition include Michael Jackson, Jon Hamm, and Holly Marie Combs. While others lose pigment on different parts of the body, some have them concentrated on certain areas such as the hands.
Though there are no known drugs that can stop vitiligo, there are some that can improve the appearance of the skin or at least even out the pigment. However, some of these existing treatments have adverse side effects.
Now, a new study published in JAMA Dermatology, provides details on an arthritis drug that can treat the discoloration on the skin caused by vitiligo. According to Medial News Today, dermatologists from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut were able to successfully treat the skin discoloration on a vitiligo patient.
The drug that researchers used is called tofacitinib, and is typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. According to TIME, a woman with vitiligo who had splotches on her hands, face, and arms was given the drug. After two months, the discoloration had lessened and the woman’s skin partially returned. Five months after the treatment, the splotches from vitiligo were almost completely gone.
Dr. Brett King, the principal investigator on the study, said that the results are promising.
“While it’s one case, we anticipated the successful treatment of this patient based on our current understanding of the disease and how the drug works.”
“It’s a first and it could revolutionize treatment of an awful disease. This may be a huge step forward in the treatment of patients with this condition.”
The 53-year-old woman suffering from vitiligo was given half the approved dose of the drug for treating arthritis. She was given 5 mg. of the drug every other day, and it was increased to 5 mg. daily after three weeks. The results show that the woman did not experience any adverse side effects during the study.
So far, the researchers have only been successful in treating one patient. However, the team plans to move on with their studies and conduct more clinical trials in order to see if the results they got from the 53-year-old woman will be consistent with other people suffering from vitiligo.
[Images via James Heilman, MD Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons/Dr. Brett King]
Arthritis Drug May Be The Answer To Vitiligo Skin Discoloration, New Study Shows is an article from: The Inquisitr News
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