Melanocyte Adhesion and Apoptosis in Vitiligo: Linking Puzzle Blocks

Vitiligo is the utmost common depigmenting condition consequential from melanocyte loss from the basal layer of the epidermis. Vitiligo disease mostly affects dark-skinned races and makes them more sensitive to UV radiation. It is also linked with some autoimmune diseases and various psychosocial difficulties. Melanocyte loss leads to depigmentation in vitiligo, is a major concern over decades, and even affects an individual's day-to-day life severely. All the theories, including autoimmune, autocytotoxic, and neural, collectively decipher either prime impact on the melanogenesis inhibition or deficient adhesion inspired melanocytes disappearance. Previously it has been described that melanocyte loss in vitiligo patients is caused by defective adhesion. Melanocyte death by apoptosis mainly occurs due to melanocyte detachment or migration from the basal layer and further followed by transepidermal migration. Various cell surface molecules, i.e., cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in affiliation with neighbouring cells and extracellular matrix (ECM), encompass a typical cell adhesion process. All these ECM molecules along with transcription factors, help in the survival and maintenance of pigmentary cells/melanocytes. Therefore, in this issue, we have tried to compile the literature available on melanocyte detachment/apoptosis in ECM due to the alteration in adhesion molecules and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) driven by known/unknown transcription factors.