Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41997929›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Aberrant laminin signaling drives melanocyte dedifferentiation and unveils a tractable therapeutic target in vitiligo.

Fei Yang, Lingli Yang, Sylvia Lai, Masafumi Yokota, Yasutaka Kuroda, Takuo Yuki, Yoshito Takahashi, Tetsuya Sayo, Takeshi Namiki, Hiroyuki Goto and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Fei YangDepartment of Pigmentation Research and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.
Lingli YangDepartment of Pigmentation Research and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan. yang.lingli@omu.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1578-6221
Sylvia LaiDepartment of Pigmentation Research and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.
Masafumi YokotaDepartment of Pigmentation Research and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-3437-0197
Yasutaka KurodaDepartment of Pigmentation Research and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0796-4331
Takuo YukiCosmetic Products Research, Research and Development, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Japan.
Yoshito TakahashiCosmetic Products Research, Research and Development, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Japan.
Tetsuya SayoCosmetic Products Research, Research and Development, Kao Corporation, Odawara, Japan.
Takeshi NamikiDepartment of Dermatology, Graduate School and Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Hiroyuki GotoDepartment of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.
Sho HiroyasuDepartment of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.
Shigetoshi SanoDepartment of Dermatology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9812-0216
Shintaro InoueDepartment of Cosmetic Health Science, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4996-5693
Yoichi MizukamiInstitute of Gene Research, Yamaguchi University Science Research Center, Yamaguchi, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3290-0754
Daisuke TsurutaDepartment of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.
Ichiro KatayamaDepartment of Pigmentation Research and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Vitiligo is an acquired depigmenting disorder characterized by progressive melanocyte loss, yet its cellular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify a melanocyte dedifferentiation-like shift as a potentially reversible pathogenic mechanism. In healthy skin, melanocytes reside within a basement membrane niche defined by dystroglycan-laminin-211 adhesion. In vitiligo, extracellular matrix remodeling with reduced laminin-211 and increased laminin-332 is associated with a shift toward integrin α3β1-laminin-332 interactions. This alteration correlates with melanocyte dedifferentiation-like changes, together with Rho-F-actin remodeling, and coordinated alterations in Hippo, MAPK, and c-Jun signaling. Affected melanocytes exhibit reduced pigmentation and features of neural crest-like states, including multilineage potential. Importantly, these changes are partially reversible. Pharmacological modulation restored melanocyte differentiation and pigmentation in mouse models and ex vivo human skin, with JAK inhibition also promoting redifferentiation. These findings identify a microenvironment-driven mechanism in vitiligo and suggest potential therapeutic strategies.

Indexed as

Cell DedifferentiationLamininMelanocytesVitiligoAnimalsCell Adhesion MoleculesCell DifferentiationExtracellular MatrixFemaleHumansIntegrin alpha3beta1KalininMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLSignal TransductionCell Adhesion MoleculesIntegrin alpha3beta1KalininLamininlaminin alpha 2

Identifiers

PMID41997929
PMCPMC13272753

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.