Jak Inhibitors: A New Weapon in the Skin Care Providers' Arsenal

March 2023 in “ PubMed ”

Osaigbokan Aihie, John A. Dyer

JAK inhibitors JAK-STAT pathway alopecia areata atopic dermatitis psoriasis vitiligo

Studysummary This review discusses JAK inhibitors as promising new treatments for various chronic dermatologic conditions, including some recent drug approvals, and reports no new clinical results.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

JAK inhibitors, a new class of anti-inflammatory medications targeting the JAK-STAT pathway, showed promise in treating chronic skin diseases that were historically resistant to treatment, such as vitiligo and alopecia areata. They also offered potential benefits for inadequately treated subtypes of atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, as well as genetic conditions like Darier's disease and Hailey-Hailey disease, and inflammatory conditions such as sarcoidosis and localized scleroderma. This review discussed JAK inhibitors approved for dermatologic use and highlighted promising early reports for additional conditions.

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Research cited in this study

4 / 4 results

research JAK Inhibitors in Dermatology: The Promise of a New Drug Class

355 citations , January 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This review reports no new results and highlights existing research suggesting JAK inhibitors may be effective in treating inflammatory skin conditions like alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and vitiligo.

research Oral Ruxolitinib Induces Hair Regrowth in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata

196 citations , September 2016 in “JCI insight”

This study explored the effectiveness of the oral JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in treating patients with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata, building on prior success with JAK inhibitors in mice, but results are not reported in this abstract.

research Familial Aggregation of Alopecia Areata

295 citations , May 2016 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This review examines the immunological aspects of alopecia areata, focusing on genetic, neuroimmunological, and immune privilege factors, but does not report new clinical findings.

research Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Oral Tofacitinib Reverses Alopecia Universalis in a Patient with Plaque Psoriasis

185 citations , June 2014 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This case report describes complete hair regrowth in a patient with alopecia universalis and improved psoriasis after treatment with the oral Janus kinase inhibitor, tofacitinib.