An Overview of JAK/STAT Pathways and JAK Inhibition in Alopecia Areata

August 2022 in “ Frontiers in immunology ”

Maddison Lensing, Ali Jabbari

Alopecia Areata immune privilege T cell infiltration cytokines interferon-γ common gamma chain cytokines IL-2 IL-7 IL-15 JAK/STAT pathways JAK inhibitors baricitinib AA IFNγ γc cytokines

From the encyclopedia

Alopecia Areata →

autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

Baricitinib →

JAK inhibitor that reduces inflammation and immune attacks on hair follicles, leading to potential hair regrowth, especially in alopecia areata cases

Studysummary This review discusses the potential of JAK inhibitors as a promising treatment strategy for alopecia areata, highlighting their mechanism and recent FDA approval based on clinical trial efficacy.

Automatically generated from the study's abstract, not written by a person, and not a review of the full paper. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Read the original study, and consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

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Research cited in this study

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research Two Phase 3 Trials of Baricitinib for Alopecia Areata

148 citations , March 2022 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

In two phase 3 trials, this study found that oral baricitinib significantly improved hair regrowth compared to placebo in adults with severe alopecia areata after 36 weeks, though longer trials are needed to ascertain its long-term efficacy and safety.

research A Case of Atopic Dermatitis with Alopecia Universalis in a Patient Treated with Abrocitinib

11 citations , February 2022 in “JAAD case reports”

This case report observed hair regrowth following the treatment of alopecia universalis and atopic dermatitis with tofacitinib, a JAK inhibitor.

research Ritlecitinib And Brepocitinib Demonstrate Significant Improvement In Scalp Alopecia Areata Biomarkers

36 citations , December 2021 in “The journal of allergy and clinical immunology/Journal of allergy and clinical immunology/The journal of allergy and clinical immunology”

This study observed that both ritlecitinib and brepocitinib improved scalp biomarkers in patients with alopecia areata, with associations to hair regrowth seen in this phase 2a trial.

research The JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway: From Bench to Clinic

489 citations , November 2021 in “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy”

This review discusses the composition, activation, and regulation of the JAK/STAT pathway and highlights its role and inhibitors in various diseases, but reports no new experimental results.

research Evaluation of the Level of Serum Interleukins (IL-2, IL-4, IL-15, and IL-17) and Its Relationship with Disease Severity in Patients with Alopecia Areata

14 citations , July 2021 in “Anais brasileiros de dermatologia/Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia”

This study found that alopecia areata patients had higher baseline interleukin levels, which significantly decreased with tofacitinib treatment, though this change did not correspond to disease severity improvement.

Efficacy and Safety of the Oral Janus Kinase Inhibitor Baricitinib in the Treatment of Adults with Alopecia Areata: Phase 2 Results from a Randomized Controlled Study

research Efficacy and Safety of the Oral Janus Kinase Inhibitor Baricitinib in the Treatment of Adults with Alopecia Areata: Phase 2 Results from a Randomized Controlled Study

66 citations , June 2021 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

In this phase 2 study, baricitinib at 2 mg and 4 mg doses significantly improved hair regrowth in adults with alopecia areata and ≥50% scalp hair loss compared to placebo, without new safety concerns, although the small sample size limits the results' generalizability.

research A Phase 2a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of the Oral Janus Kinase Inhibitors Ritlecitinib and Brepocitinib in Alopecia Areata: 24-Week Results

138 citations , March 2021 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that treatment with ritlecitinib or brepocitinib was effective in improving scalp hair loss for patients with alopecia areata over 24 weeks compared to placebo.

research Treatment of Alopecia Areata in Pre-Adolescent Children with Oral Tofacitinib: A Retrospective Study

26 citations , October 2020 in “Pediatric Dermatology”

This study found that oral tofacitinib led to clinically significant improvement in alopecia areata severity scores among pre-adolescents, though results varied and further evaluation in clinical trials is needed.

research The Effect of JAK Inhibitor on Survival, Anagen Re-Entry, and Hair Follicle Immune Privilege Restoration in Human Dermal Papilla Cells

16 citations , July 2020 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences”

This study found that ruxolitinib modulated inflammatory changes and stimulated growth factor signals by blocking the JAK-STAT pathway in an in vitro model of alopecia areata.

research Hair Follicle Immune Privilege and Its Collapse in Alopecia Areata

134 citations , July 2020 in “Experimental dermatology”

This review discusses immune privilege in anagen hair follicles and its collapse in alopecia areata, emphasizing the importance of restoring this function for effective management and disease relapse prevention.

research Serum Level of Interleukin-15 in Active Alopecia Areata Patients and Its Relation to Age, Sex, and Disease Severity

14 citations , January 2020 in “Advances in Dermatology and Allergology”

This study found that elevated serum levels of IL-15 in active alopecia areata patients are correlated with disease severity, suggesting it plays a role in disease pathogenesis.

research Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata with Baricitinib

25 citations , October 2019 in “JAAD Case Reports”

This article discusses the role of interleukin-15 and Janus kinase inhibitors in alopecia areata based on a murine model and reports no new experimental results.

research JAK Inhibitors and Alopecia Areata

56 citations , January 2019 in “Lancet”

This review discusses the emerging use of JAK inhibitors in alopecia areata treatment and reports no new clinical results; it highlights hair regrowth despite symptom recurrence after stopping therapy.

research Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata

37 citations , September 2018 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This letter reports a series of cases where the use of ruxolitinib at a lower dose than previously studied led to hair regrowth in patients with severe alopecia areata.

research Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata in Preadolescent Children

40 citations , September 2018 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This letter discusses the emerging use of Janus kinase inhibitors, specifically oral tofacitinib, for treating alopecia areata in children, but reports no new clinical findings.

research Treatment of Alopecia Universalis with Topical Janus Kinase Inhibitors – A Double Blind, Placebo, and Active Controlled Pilot Study

49 citations , August 2018 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

In this phase I study, partial hair regrowth was observed in patients with alopecia universalis using topical JAK inhibitors, though more research is needed to confirm potential as a treatment alternative to clobetasol.

An Open-Label Pilot Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Tofacitinib in Moderate to Severe Patch-Type Alopecia Areata, Totalis, and Universalis

research An Open-Label Pilot Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Tofacitinib in Moderate to Severe Patch-Type Alopecia Areata, Totalis, and Universalis

130 citations , February 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that tofacitinib led to ≥50% hair regrowth in eight out of twelve patients with moderate to severe alopecia areata, suggesting a potential benefit for using JAK inhibitors in treating this condition.

research Tofacitinib 2% Ointment, a Topical Janus Kinase Inhibitor, for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Pilot Study of 10 Patients

48 citations , November 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Tofacitinib 2% ointment helped hair regrow in 3 out of 10 patients with alopecia areata, but caused side effects like scalp irritation and raised cholesterol in some.

research Topical Janus Kinase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Pediatric Alopecia Areata

83 citations , June 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study observed that most pediatric patients with alopecia areata experienced some hair regrowth after treatment with topical JAK inhibitors, and the formulations were generally well-tolerated with mild lab abnormalities in some cases.

research Two Cases of Alopecia Areata Treated with Ruxolitinib: A Discussion of Ideal Dosing and Laboratory Monitoring

25 citations , March 2017 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

In this case report, two women with chronic alopecia areata and acute alopecia universalis experienced sustained and near-complete hair regrowth after over a year of treatment with oral ruxolitinib, without significant side effects.

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 Safety and Efficacy of the JAK Inhibitor Tofacitinib Citrate in Patients with Alopecia Areata

222 citations , September 2016 in “JCI insight”

This research overview highlights that although JAK inhibitors show promise as potential treatments for alopecia areata based on recent insights into the disease mechanism, their efficacy has not yet been thoroughly evaluated in a systematic manner.

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 Treatment of an Alopecia Areata Patient with Tofacitinib Results in Regrowth of Hair and Changes in Serum and Skin Biomarkers

70 citations , April 2016 in “Experimental Dermatology”

In this study, oral tofacitinib treatment led to significant hair regrowth and changes in skin and blood biomarkers in a patient with alopecia areata.

research Rapid Skin Repigmentation on Oral Ruxolitinib in a Patient with Coexistent Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata

157 citations , December 2015 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This case study reported significant but temporary hair regrowth and skin repigmentation in a patient with vitiligo and alopecia areata during treatment with oral ruxolitinib.

research Quality of Life in Patients with Alopecia Areata: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

25 citations , December 2015 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

This study found that alopecia areata negatively affects patients' quality of life, though less severely than psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and onychomycosis.

research Epidemiology and Burden of Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review

144 citations , July 2015 in “Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology”

This review reports that alopecia areata affects about 2% of people globally and is linked with psychiatric and medical comorbidities, highlighting its significant disease burden.

research Reversal of Alopecia Areata Following Treatment With the JAK1/2 Inhibitor Baricitinib

184 citations , February 2015 in “EBioMedicine”

This study observed that baricitinib treatment led to significant improvement in a patient's alopecia areata symptoms and suggests further clinical trials to explore its potential as a treatment.

research Alopecia Areata Is Driven by Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes and Is Reversed by JAK Inhibition

701 citations , August 2014 in “Nature medicine”

This study found that JAK inhibitors promote hair regrowth in both mice and human alopecia areata cases by blocking key immune pathways involved in disease development.

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.

research Alopecia Areata in Aging C3H/HeJ Mice

178 citations , June 1994 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that a non-scarring alopecia in C3H/HeJ mice resembles human alopecia areata and may serve as a valuable model for studying specific subtypes of the human condition.