Vitiligo is an acquired autoimmune skin disorder which leads to cutaneous depigmentations. Vitiligo

patients carry a huge burden caused by this disease. The rate of depressive symptoms is highly

increased in vitiligo patients. Vitiligo is a unique model to study in vivo immunological events which

are also of importance for other autoimmune diseases and important medical disorders such as

organ graft rejection. Lesional and non-affected skin can be easily identified and biopsied for

research. Previously, our research in melanoma showed that indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is

an important hurdle preventing the immune-mediated destruction of pigment cells. IDO is an

important physiological factor in the prevention of autoimmune phenomena illustrated by its

overexpression during pregnancy offering a state of immune tolerance. The important role of IDO in

autoimmune disorders and graft rejection is substantiated by an increasing number of publications.

In this project we will investigate if prostaglandin E2-induced expression of IDO could be a good

therapeutic strategy in vitiligo. The aim is to restore the protective immune environment in the skin

that shelters melanocytes from targeted cytotoxic responses. We will test multiple strategies

including combination treatments in vitro and in vivo. Due to the translational design of this project,

the results may have direct implications on the future management of vitiligo patients.