Alopecia Areata: The Clinical Situation

December 2017 in “ The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings ”

Maria Hordinsky

alopecia areata JAK inhibitors off-label treatments

Studysummary This review discusses the clinical challenges in treating alopecia areata with off-label therapies, highlighting the need to consider new research on JAK inhibitors, but reports no new clinical results. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

In 2018, treating alopecia areata (AA) was challenging due to the lack of FDA-approved treatments, requiring physicians to consider various off-label options based on patient age, hair loss location, disease extent, and other medical or psychological factors. The growing interest in JAK inhibitors highlighted the need for discussions about both traditional off-label treatments and emerging therapies during clinical visits.

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Research cited in this study

10 / 10 results

research Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata and Variants in Adolescents

139 citations , November 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

In this retrospective review, tofacitinib treatment was associated with clinically significant hair regrowth in most adolescent patients with alopecia areata, though limitations suggest further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

research Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata and Variants: A Study of 90 Patients

238 citations , November 2016 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

In this study, tofacitinib was reported to improve scalp hair regrowth in patients with severe alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, and alopecia universalis, showing a higher response in alopecia areata.

research Oral Ruxolitinib Induces Hair Regrowth in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata

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This study explored the effectiveness of the oral JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in treating patients with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata, building on prior success with JAK inhibitors in mice, but results are not reported in this abstract.

research Familial Aggregation of Alopecia Areata

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This review examines the immunological aspects of alopecia areata, focusing on genetic, neuroimmunological, and immune privilege factors, but does not report new clinical findings.

research Treatment of an Alopecia Areata Patient with Tofacitinib Results in Regrowth of Hair and Changes in Serum and Skin Biomarkers

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In this study, oral tofacitinib treatment led to significant hair regrowth and changes in skin and blood biomarkers in a patient with alopecia areata.

research Topical Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Universalis

96 citations , December 2015 in “JAMA dermatology”

This article discusses the potential of topical ruxolitinib as a treatment for alopecia universalis and acknowledges the need for alternatives to systemic JAK inhibitors due to the risk of serious side effects.

research Alopecia Areata: An Evidence-Based Treatment Update

72 citations , July 2014 in “American journal of clinical dermatology”

This review analyzed randomized controlled trials on alopecia areata treatment and found that while several treatments showed effectiveness, most studies had limitations affecting their interpretability.

research Overview of Alopecia Areata

110 citations , December 2013 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings”

This article reviews current understanding of alopecia areata, its genetic and immune factors, and discusses ongoing research and treatment development, without presenting new experimental results.

research Clobetasol Propionate, 0.05%, vs Hydrocortisone, 1%, for Alopecia Areata in Children

49 citations , November 2013 in “JAMA dermatology”

This study found that topical clobetasol propionate cream was more effective than hydrocortisone cream in reducing hair loss surface area in children with patchy alopecia areata over 24 weeks, with no serious adverse effects.

research Alopecia Areata Update

391 citations , January 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This article reviews the clinical presentation and histopathologic features of alopecia areata and proposes a hypothesis for its development, but it reports no new clinical results.