I am a physician-scientist who focuses my clinical and research efforts on vitiligo, and therefore I think about this disease a lot – all the time, in fact. Therefore I thought it would be helpful to share my thoughts with others who are interested in vitiligo as well, particularly the patients who suffer from it and their loved ones. I want to make clear that while I am affiliated with many vitiligo organizations, my comments in this blog are my own, and do not reflect the opinions of those organizations. In addition, my research is largely focused on finding new treatments, and ultimately a cure, for vitiligo. This work is supported by a number of sources, including pharmaceutical companies, which by definition creates potential conflicts of interest. In full disclosure, here is a list of our vitiligo research supporters. Please know that, to the best of my ability, all of my comments are unbiased reflections of my understanding of vitiligo as both a physician and scientist. I do not permit advertisements on my website, and do not endorse companies or products that may advertise on other sites that may be referenced here.
You may have already heard about the recent report by Dr. Brett King at Yale University, about one of his patients with vitiligo who responded to treatment with tofacitinib (brand name Xelganz), regaining much of the pigment in her face and hands within a few months. While only a single patient, this report is indeed very exciting, as it suggests that Jak inhibitors may provide a new effective treatment for vitiligo. We are also excited because Dr. King based his rationale for using tofacitinib in vitiligo on our research, which defined the IFN-γ signaling pathway as critical for vitiligo progression and maintenance. It supports our hypothesis that targeting this pathway would be an effective strategy for developing new treatments.
Today, June 25th, 2015, is World Vitiligo Day, and I am going to tell you how I spent my day! I had the honor and pleasure to stand with our Boston vitiligo support group, VitFriends, on the steps of the State House in Boston talking to passersby about vitiligo to raise awareness of the disease. It was sunny and HOT, but there was a lot of foot traffic during lunch hour, and we educated some and also met new friends with the disease. Then we were invited into the State House to meet with State Representative Gloria L. Fox, who listened intently to our concerns about vitiligo. We are excited to consider her the newest member of our team to help develop a plan to change the way people with vitiligo are viewed and treated in Massachusetts, the United States, and around the world.
I am a physician-scientist who focuses my clinical and research efforts on vitiligo, and therefore I think about this disease a lot – all the time, in fact. Therefore I thought it would be helpful to share my thoughts with others who are interested in vitiligo as well, particularly the patients who suffer from it and their loved ones. I want to make clear that while I am affiliated with many vitiligo organizations, my comments in this blog are my own, and do not reflect the opinions of those organizations. In addition, my research is largely focused on finding new treatments, and ultimately a cure, for vitiligo. This work is supported by a number of sources, including pharmaceutical companies, which by definition creates potential conflicts of interest. In full disclosure, here is a list of our vitiligo research supporters. Please know that, to the best of my ability, all of my comments are unbiased reflections of my understanding of vitiligo as both a physician and scientist. I do not permit advertisements on my website, and do not endorse companies or products that may advertise on other sites that may be referenced here.