Let’s be real! March 2020 surprised us all with something unprecedented – something at least our generation has never witnessed before. Right before the unexpected Coronavirus outbreak and lockdowns across the world, vitiligo was collectively seen by some of us as a mammoth problem. But, post COVID19 pandemic, we can certainly say, vitiligo isn’t something that can be at top of mind of our, vitiligo fighters’, mind in these times of social distancing.
Still, March 2020 saw some progress in the field of vitiligo research. As per a literature review published in Dermatologic Therapy, a systematic review that explored the current data for vitiligo therapy concluded that immunomodulators may become more prominent in the coming years due to its efficacy. Immunomodulators like afamelanotide, latanoprost, zinc, tofacitinib, cyclosporine, rituximab, minocycline, methotrexate, and sodium oxo-dihydro-acridinylacetate (ODHAA) displayed some degree of effectiveness in the treatment of vitiligo. Development on the same will have to wait up until more clinical trials are conducted post coronavirus crisis.
In a community story, Joe Rogan, an American comedian and podcast host with vitiligo, recently participated in a month-long experiment with the carnivore diet. He kept his fans updated on how the carnivore diet was going for him through social posts. After he finished his month, Joe posted a video on Instagram and told everyone how his vitiligo improved post going through a carnivore diet that had a bunch of his white spots fill in.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7LPdnHlto7/
In another important development during March 2020, it was found that UVB phototherapy is not linked with skin cancer risk in vitiligo. As per Jung Min Bae’s observation who is from the department of dermatology – St. Vincent’s Hospital, College of Medicine at The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul. Jung and his team undertook the nationwide, population-based retrospective cohort analysis that included 60,321 patients aged above 20 years identified through the country’s national health insurance claims database. The study was conducted for the period between 2007 and 2017. No increase in skin cancer incidence was reported for people with vitiligo (taken out of this database) undergoing prolonged narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy.
