The Alopecia Areata Phenotype Is Induced by the Water Avoidance Stress Test in CCHCR1-Deficient Mice

In a study published on December 16, 2020, researchers investigated the role of the CCHCR1 gene in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA) by using C57BL/6N cchcr1 gene knockout mice. The mice were divided into two groups: cchcr1 -/- mice and wild-type (WT) mice, with both groups subjected to a water avoidance stress (WAS) test. Eight weeks after the WAS test, 25% of the cchcr1 -/- mice developed noninflammatory alopecia foci on their dorsal skin, which resembled human AA in gross morphology, trichoscopic, and histological findings. These results suggest that the CCHCR1 gene is associated with AA pathogenesis and that cchcr1 -/- mice serve as a suitable model for investigating the disease. The study highlights the CCHCR1 gene as a disease susceptibility gene for AA, supporting its potential role in the autoimmune disease mechanism affecting the hair bulb of growing hair.