Current and Future Pharmacotherapy for Alopecia Areata

The 2015 document reviews the state of pharmacotherapy for alopecia areata, a condition causing hair loss, and explores both current and potential future treatments. It details the disease's genetic and immunological underpinnings, including the loss of immune privilege and inflammatory attacks on hair follicles. Current treatments, such as steroids, immunotherapy, and psychological support, are discussed alongside their efficacy and limitations. The document also introduces future therapies like JAK inhibitors, abatacept, IL-2, anti-IFN-y, PRP, stem cell therapy, ezetimibe/simvastatin, and tianeptine, which have shown promise in preliminary studies but require more extensive clinical trials to confirm their safety and effectiveness. It emphasizes the need for new treatments based on a deeper understanding of the disease's pathogenesis, with JAK inhibitors being particularly promising, though further research is necessary to establish reliable pharmacotherapy options for alopecia areata.