Selective Expansion of Tregs Using the IL-2 Cytokine Antibody Complex Does Not Reverse Established Alopecia Areata in C3H/HeJ Mice

The study explored the potential of using expanded regulatory T cells (Tregs) to treat alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease where cytotoxic T lymphocytes attack hair follicles. Using the C3H/HeJ mouse model, researchers found that while Tregs can proliferate in the skin with the help of IL-2 cytokine antibody complex, their expansion was not enough to induce hair growth or suppress the autoreactive CD8 T cells responsible for AA. Consequently, the study concluded that simply increasing Treg numbers in the skin does not reverse established AA, indicating that a more comprehensive immunotherapy approach is necessary for effective treatment.