Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow: Potential of Tofacitinib and Ruxolitinib in Treating Hair Loss

The document discusses the potential of two drugs, tofacitinib and ruxolitinib, in treating hair loss. These drugs, originally used for rheumatoid arthritis and bone-marrow cancer respectively, block the janus kinase (JAK) family of enzymes, which are involved in immune responses. Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center found that these JAK inhibitors can induce rapid hair regrowth by kicking hair follicles into the active growth phase. This was observed in both mice and human hair follicles. Additionally, oral tofacitinib has been reported to reverse alopecia universalis in a patient with psoriasis. While the findings are promising, especially for alopecia areata, the document notes that the studies are small-scale and preliminary. The main challenge for using these drugs in the UK is their significant cost and safety concerns. The document also briefly mentions the 'holy grail' of hair loss treatment, which is hair follicle regeneration through stem cells, highlighting recent progress in this area.