Current Research Grants Awarded

The National Vitiligo Foundation has funded 2 research grants, awarded at our Annual Meeting held in Cincinnati, OH on October 27, 2007.

Rangaprasad Sarangarajan, Ph.D.


Assistant Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Title: Role of g-Glutamyltranspeptidase in the Conversion of 4-TBP to a Toxic Metabolite in Occupational Vitiligo.

Award: $15,000

Brief Description: Occupational vitiligo is a skin disorder caused by exposure to phenolic compounds such at 4-tertiary butylphenol (4-TBP). Exposure to these compounds results in skin depigmentation and destruction of melanocytes (melanin producing cells). Current theory suggests that free radicals of 4-TBP generated by tyrosinase enzyme (responsible for melanin synthesis) induces oxidative stress and cell death. Free radicals generated in the cell are detoxified by reacting with glutathione (GSH), an antioxidant that is present in melanocytes. The product of free radical of 4-TBP and glutathione is a 4-TBP-GSH conjugate. We propose g-glutamyl transpeptidase is an enzyme responsible for initiating a chain of reactions that, instead of detoxification, converts the 4-TBP-GSH conjugate to a metabolite that can destroy melanocytes. Results from this project would identify a specific enzymatic pathway responsible for the generation of 4-TBP metabolite capable of melanocyte destruction in occupational vitiligo.

Final Report: Click here.

Hee-Young Park, Ph.D.


Associate Research Professor
Departments of Dermatology and Biochemistry
Boston University School of Medicine

Title: Bone Morphogenetic Protein-4: Novel Modulator of Pigmentation and Its Implication in Vitiligo.

Award: $15,000

Brief Description: Vitiligo, a skin disease with an irregular-sized loss of skin pigment, has a devastating impact on the social and psychological well-being of an individual, as well as lack of sun-protection within the affected de-pigmented areas. The causes for the loss of skin pigment are not well understood. One of the factors that has been implicated to be important in causing the death pigment producing cells is the presence of molecules released by the local or micro-environments that stresses the survival of pigment cells. Based on this implication, my laboratory plans to examine whether a small molecule termed Bone-Morphogenetic Protein-4 (BMP-4) reduces the survival of melanocytes, pigment producing skin cells. BMP-4 is produced by melanocytes and neighboring skin cell types called keratinocytes. BMP-4 was shown to reduce the production of pigment and a protein that is important for the survival of melanocytes. Excess release of BMP-4 by keratinocytes may harm and reduce the survival of melanocytes. We will study this possibility.

Final Report: Click here.