TLDR Dupilumab may help treat alopecia areata in children with atopic dermatitis, but it can also cause new hair loss.
This case series examined the use of dupilumab, an interleukin 4 receptor antagonist, in treating alopecia areata (AA) in 6 pediatric patients (4 girls and 2 boys) aged 7 to 12 years who also had atopic dermatitis (AD). Five of the 6 patients showed improvement in AA, with 4 experiencing complete hair regrowth. One patient did not respond to the treatment. Dupilumab was generally well tolerated, with only one patient discontinuing due to severe anxiety related to injections. The study suggests that dupilumab may be a viable treatment option for AA in children with AD, though further research is needed to understand its mechanism and efficacy fully.
19 citations,
January 2021 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Dupilumab may help children with alopecia areata and atopic dermatitis regrow hair.
26 citations,
July 2019 in “JAAD Case Reports” Dupilumab for atopic dermatitis may cause new or worsen existing alopecia areata.
49 citations,
December 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Dupilumab may cause significant hair loss, which can reverse after stopping the drug.
53 citations,
January 2018 in “JAAD case reports” Dupilumab for eczema may cause hair loss.
176 citations,
August 2015 in “The journal of allergy and clinical immunology/Journal of allergy and clinical immunology/The journal of allergy and clinical immunology” Alopecia areata involves immune activation in the scalp, suggesting treatments targeting TH1, TH2, and IL-23 pathways.
1 citations,
May 2023 in “Prospects in Pharmaceutical Sciences” New cytokine-targeted therapies show promise for treating alopecia areata.
3 citations,
December 2021 in “Dermatology reports” Dupilumab can improve both atopic dermatitis and alopecia universalis.
20 citations,
August 2019 in “Frontiers in immunology” Biologics show promise in treating various stubborn skin diseases, but more research and better reimbursement criteria are needed.
50 citations,
March 2021 in “Journal of investigational allergology & clinical immunology” Dupilumab is being tested for many new skin, respiratory, and gastrointestinal conditions.
3 citations,
July 2023 in “International journal of molecular sciences” Stress may contribute to hair loss in alopecia areata by affecting immune responses and cell death in hair follicles.
