Immune-competent 3D human skin model of vitiligo

Vitiligo skin carries a lower ultraviolet signature than non-melanoma skin cancers, and its epidermis shows a strong anti-skin cancer signature in miRNA networks. The long noncoding RNA MALAT1 and the microRNA miR-31-5p both protect melanin-deficient vitiligo keratinocytes against ultraviolet damage to DNA. An ANRF grant now funds an immune-competent 3D human skin model of vitiligo.

• Vitiligo and pigment biology

• Nevus of OtaJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology2026DOI
• microRNA miR-31-5p confers protection to melanin-deficient vitiligo keratinocytes against UV-B induced DNA damage by activating autophagy machineryScientific Reports2026DOI
• Minimal erythema dose variability in Indian skin: clinical implications across pigmentary and inflammatory dermatosesClinical and Experimental Dermatology2025Senior authorDOI
• Stem cell factor-mediated upregulation of SIRT1 protects melanin-deprived keratinocytes against UV-induced DNA damage in individuals with vitiligoThe FASEB Journal2024DOI
• Meta‐analysis reveals a lower ‘UV signature’ in vitiligo skin compared to non‐melanoma skin cancersExperimental Dermatology2024DOI
• VitiligoJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology2024Senior authorDOI

• CSIR-IGIB · ₹4.5 lakhSkin cell homeostasisPrincipal investigator · 2015 to 2017, completed
• Adiuvo Diagnostics · ₹3.5 lakhPortable fluorescence dermascope to identify the pathogens of skin infectionPrincipal investigator · 2019, completed
• ICMR · ₹67.8 lakhTopical transglutaminase-1 nanocomplex for enzyme replacement in autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosisPrincipal investigator, with CSIR-IGIB · 2019 to 2021, completed
• IADVL · ₹5 lakhMelanocyte and fibroblast cross-talk in keloidsPrincipal investigator · Since 2021, ongoing
• DBT · ₹85.5 lakhFully automated device that sprays a sterile bioscaffold carrying the patient’s own cellsPrincipal investigator, with CSIR-IGIB and BITS Pilani · Since 2023, ongoing
• ANRF · ₹3 croreSwitchable bispecific BCMA/CD19 CAR-T cell therapy for refractory systemic lupus erythematosusPrincipal investigator, with IIT Kanpur · Since December 2025, ongoing
• ICMR · ₹85 lakhSkin-on-Chip for screening cosmetic endocrine disruptors relevant to PCOSJoint principal investigator with Dr Roopesh Rai · Since September 2026, ongoing
• DBT · ₹70.82 lakhNon-viral TGM1 delivery validated in a TGM1-deficient 3D human skin modelPrincipal investigator, with CSIR-IGIB · Starts December 2026