Gene Expression Signatures and ALADIN Score Correlate with Response of Alopecia Areata Patients to Treatment with JAK Inhibitors
TLDR The ALADIN score can predict how well patients with alopecia areata will respond to JAK inhibitor treatments.
The study focused on alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease causing hair loss, and evaluated the effectiveness of JAK inhibitors (ruxolitinib and tofacitinib) in treating AA. Researchers developed the Alopecia Areata Disease Activity Index (ALADIN) using whole genome gene expression data from AA patients and controls. ALADIN effectively tracked clinical responses to treatment and correlated strongly with treatment outcomes. Key genes in the ALADIN metric, such as GZMA, PRF1, CXCL9, and CXCL10, helped differentiate responders from non-responders at baseline. The study concluded that ALADIN is a valuable biomarker tool for assessing novel AA treatments in clinical trials.
