Antoine Bertolotti, Giovanni Leone, Alain Taïeb, Emilie Soriano, Michel Pascal, Hervé Maillard, Nanja van Geel
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-3870

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of non-cultured autologous epidermal cell grafting resuspended in hyaluronic acid, performed using a ready-to-use kit, compared with hyaluronic acid alone (neutral comparator) for repigmenting vitiligo and piebaldism lesions at 6 months. Two identified paired lesions per patient were randomized to be treated by either device. Devices with a ready-to-use kit were prepared by separate health professionals, to maintain blinding. A skin biopsy was digested using trypsin, and cells resuspended in hyaluronic acid solution. Among 38 patients screened, 36 (94.7%) patients, corresponding to 72 lesions, were analysed. For difficult-to-treat lesions, defined as those located on the wrist, elbow, and hands (n = 30), no repigmentation ≥ 50% was observed. For all other locations (n = 42), the success rate was significantly higher (p = 0.021) in the ready-to-use kit group (47.6% vs 9.5%) at 6 months and was maintained until 12 months. In conclusion, a single application of non-cultured epidermal cellular grafting using a ready-to-use kit was efficient at 6 months and at 1-year follow-up.

A ready-to-use kit, Viticell® (CE 0344, Laboratoires Genevrier, France), has been developed to facilitate non-cultured epidermal autologous cellular grafting and was assessed in a multicentre, multinational, double-blinded, randomized, neutral comparator (hyaluronic acid 2%)-controlled study. Grafting performed with this ready-to-use kit was shown to be an effective treatment for repigmentation of stable vitiligo and piebaldism lesions, over a 12-month follow up.