Cell transplantation for vitiligo (MKTP)

Melanocyte-keratinocyte transplantation (MKTP) is a procedure that takes pigment cells from a small area of normal skin and transfers them to vitiligo patches. The cells are separated into a suspension, not grown in a laboratory, and applied on the same day. It is used for stable vitiligo that has not responded well enough to medical treatment.

How does MKTP work?

A thin layer of skin is taken from a hidden donor site. In the procedure room the cells are separated into a suspension that contains melanocytes, the pigment cells, and keratinocytes, the main skin cells that support them. The surface of the white patch is carefully removed, and the suspension is spread over it and covered with a dressing. Because the cells are spread out, a small donor area can treat a larger patch than with a skin graft.

Who is it for?

A 2023 practical guide describes MKTP as an option for patients with stable vitiligo who have not reached satisfactory results with medical treatment. Stability matters: if vitiligo is still active, the immune attack can affect the transplanted cells too. The guide notes that the procedure is performed by dermatologic surgeons worldwide with good tolerability and effectiveness, yet remains under-used in the United States.

What does the evidence show?

A 2022 systematic review of surgical vitiligo treatments, covering 73 studies and 2,911 patients, found that grafting methods may offer the highest likelihood of repigmentation, with risks that include scarring and hyperpigmentation. Phototherapy after the procedure is commonly used to support repigmentation.

Professor Nilforoushzadeh's group used non-cultured melanocyte-keratinocyte transplantation with NB-UVB phototherapy for a patient whose facial skin lost its pigment after an injury from a skin exfoliator, and who had not responded to other treatments. The case showed significant improvement, an example of how the same technique can help pigment loss from causes other than vitiligo.

What are the alternatives?

For patches that are not yet stable, or for people who prefer to avoid surgery, laser or microneedling with phototherapy and medical treatments come first. The vitiligo guide compares all the options.