Role of Regulatory T Cells in Pathogenesis and Therapeutics of Alopecia Areata

January 2024 in “ Elsevier eBooks ”

Shahnawaz D. Jadeja, Jayvadan Vaishnav, Firdosh Shah, Mitesh Dwivedi

alopecia areata autoimmune disorder nonscarring hair loss immunological collapse hair follicles interferon-gamma CD8+ T cells regulatory T cells Treg cells lesional scalp local immunity hair follicle regeneration Treg cell-based therapies AA hair loss immune system hair growth

Studysummary The authors concluded that increasing regulatory T cells in patients with alopecia areata may improve hair follicle regeneration by reducing autoimmune responses, suggesting a potential new therapeutic approach since current treatments are often ineffective with high relapse rates. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder causing nonscarring hair loss due to the immunological collapse of hair follicles, primarily involving interferon-gamma and CD8+ T cells. The pathogenesis of AA remains unclear, and current treatments often result in high relapse rates and poor efficacy. Recent studies highlight the role of regulatory T cells (Treg) in AA, showing that compromised Treg cells in the lesional scalp lead to dysregulated local immunity and hinder hair follicle regeneration. Enhancing Treg cells in AA patients could mitigate abnormal autoimmunity and promote hair growth, suggesting that Treg cell-based therapies may offer a more effective treatment approach for AA.

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