Interview with Dr. Caroline Le Poole on Vitiligo Reversal in Mice

Today I recorded a phone interview with Dr. Le Pool on her research that was just published in Science Translation Medicine. As you can see from the following articles, this is considered a very exciting breakthrough.

Modified protein could become first effective treatment for vitiligo http://www.labspaces.net/127054/Modified_protein_could_become_first_effective_treatment_for_vitiligo
Mutant protein offers promise of skin disease cure http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-03-13/health/ct-x-vitiglio-study-0313-20130313_1_vitiligo-immune-cells-protein
Loyola researchers engineer protein to combat the skin disorder vitiligo http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=217259
Modified Protein Could Become First Effective Treatment for Vitiligo Skin Disorder http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130227150908.htm
Understanding Disorder that Causes Skin to Lose Color Might Also Help in the Fight Against Deadly Skin Cancer http://loyolahealth.org/newswire/news/understanding-disorder-causes-skin-lose-color-might-also-help-fight-against-deadly

Here is the bio page for Dr. Le Poole at NVFI: http://www.nvfi.org/pages/bod_bio_le_poole.php

The audio recording of the interview is here: http://audio.edtechlive.com/vitiligocarolinelepoole.mp3. Please accept my apologies for the degrading quality of the audio as the interview goes along. I am in rural Australia traveling, and used Skype to call Dr. Le Poole, and the connection started out strong but you will find times when the quality if frustrating. Sorry. However, you should be able to make most of what she says out.

In an email reply to me, Dr. Le Poole had this to say: "

I didn't mean to downplay our findings, but rather wanted to emphasize that it will be a while until we can apply our technology to human patients. I don't want to instill what may be false hope, even though I have plenty of it myself. I'd like to mention that the full article can now be accessed via my Oncology Institute webpage at http://www.stritch.luc.edu/oncology_institute/node/13, for those interested in further information. Thanks for the opportunity to share our findings through the Vitiligo Friends network."

I agree, my Dermatologist said that this study comes up every few years and there is no new news. I have emailed this doctor on several occasions and have asked for updates and nothing! I hope this isn't some cruel hoax or fundraising scam. I can share some news. My Vitiligo has spread on my legs and arms. I started to get it on my face around my eyes and lips. My doctor prescribed Protopic and my face responded well. It halted the Vitiligo and even reversed it. I am grateful for that but unfortunately, this is the only place that it has worked.We should have a forum where real success stories are posted so we all can learn from it. Unfortunately, we still get bombarded with make-up ads and con artists trying to sell junk.

Replies

DP Nazareno April 9, 2021 at 3:49pm

I called Dr. Le Poole last year, 2020 before the Coronavirus became a much bigger problem than it should have been. She told me that she will call me if I get selected. It was my dermatologist who recommended that I call her. Unfortunately, I wasn't selected.
Cre M. June 7, 2017 at 6:32am

Thank you for sharing!
Ann June 6, 2017 at 7:23am

Any updates on this protein? I just came across this posting and thought it was currant until I saw it goes back to 2013.
Dulce Leon September 17, 2016 at 12:09am

Do we know where these studies of the proteins are at this moment in 2016?
ja mad October 27, 2015 at 7:43am

I just saw a summary from Dr. Harris (researcher from Yale on vit cure with Tofacitinib) and he mentions that at fórum in California past month, results on HSp70 look 10 or 20 years away.

Back in 2013 when the news on HSP70 came out i wrote Dr. le Poole and she had mentioned about 2 years to be doing human trials, but with this information we are back to "nothing works. Sorry for the bad news,
anitha October 19, 2015 at 4:46pm

Any news on this , please update.Its been 2 and half years,,,,is there no improvement at all or was it all fake.

We viligans need hope to live. Someone please update on this. We are all waiting.
- Steven DeMola > anitha October 25, 2015 at 4:02am
  
  Thanks like anitha, I feared this was BS.
- Steven DeMola > anitha October 20, 2015 at 1:44am
  
  I agree, my Dermatologist said that this study comes up every few years and there is no new news. I have emailed this doctor on several occasions and have asked for updates and nothing! I hope this isn't some cruel hoax or fundraising scam. I can share some news. My Vitiligo has spread on my legs and arms. I started to get it on my face around my eyes and lips. My doctor prescribed Protopic and my face responded well. It halted the Vitiligo and even reversed it. I am grateful for that but unfortunately, this is the only place that it has worked.We should have a forum where real success stories are posted so we all can learn from it. Unfortunately, we still get bombarded with make-up ads and con artists trying to sell junk.
  - Robot > Steven DeMola October 23, 2015 at 5:24pm
    
    My guess is that Mutant HSP70i was a fundraising scam indeed.
    
    As a matter of fact, HSP70i is a protein that reverts a certain induced hipopigmentation (not non-segmental vitiligo). Those mice were ordered by Le Poole from a Lab. She ordered them already genetically modified with a certain hipopigmentation. So, the Mutant protein HSP70i reversed the mice's genetic modification that was known in advance.
    
    The mice did not have vitiligo, but a known genetic hipopigmentation.
    
    The theory worked, but it does not apply to vitiligo.
    - anitha > Robot October 23, 2015 at 9:31pm
      
      Very unfortunate such human beings are there who take undue advantage of others week situations to gain their profit.i agree wid Steven we must post more and more successful stories to learn and to spread hope.thank you flavio to stop us from waiting for one fake hope.

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