Simvastatin Reduces Autoimmune Alopecia Through Direct Action on T Lymphocytes

The study demonstrated that topical application of simvastatin to alopecia areata (AA) lesions in a mouse model induced remission and complete hair regrowth. This effect was associated with decreased serum cholesterol and reduced levels of pSTAT1 and NKG2D in skin-draining lymph nodes. In vitro, simvastatin showed an anti-proliferative effect on cytotoxic T cells and primary lymph node cells, suggesting that its beneficial impact on AA was due to direct modulation of T cell activity. The decreased viability of T cells after 48 hours of treatment indicated a potential inhibitory effect on IL-2 signaling, which is crucial for T cell growth.