Chemokine Receptor CCR5 as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata

August 2016 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”

Taisuke Ito, Takeshi Suzuki, Akihiro Funakoshi, Toshiharu Fujiyama, Y. Tokura

CCR5 alopecia areata T lymphocyte hair bulbs CCR5 inhibitor Maraviroc negative allosteric modulator CD4+CCR5+ T cells CD8+CCR5+ T cells chemotactic activity RANTES chemokine receptors chemokines AA HIV drug T cells

TLDR Blocking the CCR5 receptor may be a new way to treat hair loss from alopecia areata.

The document presents findings on the role of the chemokine receptor CCR5 in the treatment of alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease characterized by T lymphocyte infiltration around hair bulbs. The study involved C3H/HeJ mice with AA, which were treated with the CCR5 inhibitor Maraviroc, an HIV drug that acts as a negative allosteric modulator of the CCR5 receptor. The treatment was administered orally following the induction of AA lesions in the mice. Results showed that 4 out of 5 Maraviroc-treated mice exhibited improvement in hair loss lesions after 2 weeks. Immunohistological assessments and FACS analysis revealed a decreased number of CD4+CCR5+ and CD8+CCR5+ T cells in the lesions, and a significant inhibition of the chemotactic activity of CD4+ lymph node cells towards RANTES after Maraviroc treatment. The study concludes that targeting chemokine receptors/chemokines with inhibitors like Maraviroc could be a novel approach for treating AA.

View this study on jidonline.org →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Similar Research

5 / 77 results

research The Role of Lymphocytes in the Development and Treatment of Alopecia Areata

60 citations, September 2015 in “Expert Review of Clinical Immunology”

Lymphocytes, especially CD8+ T cells, play a key role in causing alopecia areata, and targeting them may lead to new treatments.

research Human Hair Follicles Can Smell: OR2AT4-Mediated Hair Growth Regulation

August 2016 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Human hair follicles have a scent receptor that can influence hair growth.

STAT5 Activation in the Dermal Papilla Is Important for Hair Follicle Growth Phase Induction, Hair Follicle Regeneration, and Wound Healing

research STAT5 Activation in the Dermal Papilla Is Important for Hair Follicle Growth Phase Induction, Hair Follicle Regeneration, and Wound Healing

1 citations, August 2016 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Activating STAT5 in the skin's dermal papilla is key for starting hair growth, regenerating hair follicles, and healing wounds.

research The Adenosine-Generating Ecto-Enzyme CD73 Regulates Human Hair Growth

August 2016 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

The enzyme CD73 helps control human hair growth and could be targeted to treat hair growth disorders.

research Proceedings of the Ninth World Congress for Hair Research 2015

January 2017 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings”

The 2015 Hair Research Congress concluded that stem cells, maraviroc, and simvastatin could potentially treat Alopecia Areata, topical minoxidil, finasteride, and steroids could treat Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, and PTGDR2 antagonists could also treat alopecia. They also found that low-level light therapy could help with hair loss, a robotic device could assist in hair extraction, and nutrition could aid hair growth. They suggested that Alopecia Areata is an inflammatory disorder, not a single disease, indicating a need for personalized treatments.