A Humanized IL-2 Fusion Protein Enhances T Regulatory Cells In Vivo And Restrains Disease In A Murine Model Of Alopecia Areata

    November 2025 in “ The Journal of Immunology
    Maddison Lensing, Samuel Connell, Hing C. Wong, Peter R. Rhode, Niraj Shrestha, Xiaofeng Zhu, Ali Jabbari
    TLDR A humanized IL-2 fusion protein boosts T regulatory cells and helps control hair loss in Alopecia Areata.
    The study investigates the use of a humanized IL-2 fusion protein, HCW9302, to enhance T regulatory cells (Tregs) and manage Alopecia Areata (AA), an autoimmune disease causing hair loss. In a murine model, HCW9302 treatment prevented the development of AA by significantly reducing the number of effector T cells (Teff) infiltrating the skin and increasing the Treg to Teff ratio to 4:1. This suggests that enhancing Tregs can effectively restrain AA, offering potential therapeutic insights for using IL-2 fusion proteins in treating patients with AA.
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