@inproceedings{176e59afaec448259b7b35c30676b417,
title = "Monitoring human melanocytic cell responses to piperine using multispectral imaging",
abstract = "Vitiligo is a depigmentary disease characterized by melanocyte loss attributed most commonly to autoimmune mechanisms. Currently vitiligo has a high incidence (1% worldwide) but a poor set of treatment options. Piperine, a compound found in black pepper, is a potential treatment for the depigmentary skin disease vitiligo, due to its ability to stimulate mouse epidermal melanocyte proliferation in vitro and in vivo. The present study investigates the use of multispectral imaging and an image processing technique based on local contrast to quantify the stimulatory effects of piperine on human melanocyte proliferation in reconstructed epidermis. We demonstrate the ability of the imaging method to quantify increased pigmentation in response to piperine treatment. The quantization of melanocyte stimulation by the proposed imaging technique illustrates the potential use of this technology to quickly assess therapeutic responses of vitiligo tissue culture models to treatment non-invasively.",
keywords = "image processing, melanin, multispectral imaging, tissue culture, vitiligo",
author = "Ravikant Samatham and Phillips, {Kevin G.} and Julia Sonka and Aznegashe Yelma and Neha Reddy and Meenakshi Vanka and Philippe Thuillier and Amala Soumyanath and Steven Jacques",
year = "2011",
doi = "10.1117/12.875620",
language = "English (US)",
isbn = "9780819484208",
series = "Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging - Proceedings of SPIE",
booktitle = "Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics VII",
note = "Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics VII ; Conference date: 22-01-2011 Through 24-01-2011",
}