Autoimmune Disease Induction in a Healthy Human Organ: A Humanized Mouse Model of Alopecia Areata

October 2012 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”

Amos Gilhar, Aviad Keren, Avner Shemer, Roberto d’Ovidio, Yehuda Ullmann, Ralf Paus

alopecia areata autoimmune hair loss humanized mouse model peripheral blood mononuclear cells PBMCs NKG2D+ cells CD56+ cells immunocompromised mice hair loss disorder AA

TLDR Alopecia areata can be triggered by specific immune cells without genetic or environmental factors.

The study developed a humanized mouse model to replicate alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune hair loss disorder, by using healthy human skin grafts on immunocompromised mice. The model involved injecting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) enriched for NKG2D+ and CD56+ cells from healthy donors into the grafts, which induced AA-like hair loss. This model demonstrated that AA could be induced without predisposing genetic or environmental factors, highlighting the role of NKG2D+ and CD56+ cells in AA pathogenesis. The study used 55 mice and provided a valuable tool for preclinical testing of AA therapies.

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