Pharmacologic inhibition of JAK-STAT signaling promotes hair growth

    October 2015 in “Science Advances
    Sivan Harel, Claire A. Higgins, Jane E. Cerise, Zhijun Dai, James C. Chen, Raphael Clynes, Angela M. Christiano
    Image of study
    TLDR Blocking JAK-STAT signaling can lead to hair growth.
    The study from October 2, 2015, found that pharmacologic inhibition of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway promotes hair growth by inducing the anagen phase in hair follicles. Using topical treatments with JAK inhibitors like tofacitinib and ruxolitinib led to rapid hair growth in mouse and human skin. The study showed that JAK inhibition up-regulates genes associated with hair follicle inductivity and growth, such as those in the TGFB and BMP pathways. The effects were independent of lymphocyte activity, suggesting a direct action on hair follicles. The research involved experiments on mice and human hair follicle assays, but the number of subjects used in the experiments is not provided in the summary. The findings suggest potential new treatments for hair loss conditions by targeting the JAK-STAT pathway.
    View this study on advances.sciencemag.org →

    Cited in this study

    Related

      The JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway: From Bench to Clinic

      research The JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway: From Bench to Clinic

      489 citations ,   November 2021 in “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy”
      The JAK/STAT pathway is important in cell processes and disease, and JAK inhibitors are promising for treating related conditions.