Vitiligo is a pigmentary disorder, in which oxidative stress has been evidenced as part of the pathogenesis. Pathways responsible for protecting melanocytes from damage caused by reactive oxygen species are known as the nuclear factor erythroid factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway.
Nrf2 is a transcription factor that remains inhibited when the organism is in homeostasis, but in the presence of oxidative stress it allows the encoding of phase ii antioxidant enzymes.
In vitiligo there are abnormalities in the location and function of Nrf2 as well as polymorphisms that increase the risk of this disease. Currently, multiple molecules that act on Nrf2 have been investigated in order to find useful emerging treatments for vitiligo.
A search for articles in Spanish and English was carried out in the PubMed, Ovid, Scopus and Web of Science Clarivate databases, using the keywords “Vitiligo AND nuclear factor erythroid derived 2 like 2 OR NRF2” without time restriction. All in vitro studies, narrative reviews, case series, cohort studies, and randomized and non-randomized clinical trials that specifically addressed the issue of Nrf2 associated with vitiligo were included.
