title: Aberrant Notch signaling: a potential pathomechanism of vitiligo.
abstract: Vitiligo is characterized by a localized and progressive loss of melanocytes which are pigment cells responsible for the pigmentation of human. The etiopathogenetic mechanisms leading to melanocytes loss in vitiligo lesions are not yet fully understood and no effective treatment or cure exists. Notch signaling has been shown to control many cellular functions of melanocytes. Activation of Notch signaling occurs during the formation of melanocytic tumors and inactivation of Notch signaling causes a dramatic elimination of melanocytes precursors. So we postulate that inactivation of Notch signaling in the melanocytes may be a potential pathomechanism of vitiligo. If the hypothesis was proved to be practical, we could provide new understanding of the etiology of vitiligo and produce new therapeutic avenues.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plastic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 17 Changle Western Road, Xi'an 710032, PR China.
authors.forename: Jian-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Diao
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen-Sen
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Ying-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Shu-Zhong
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D051880:Receptors, Notch