TYK2 Inhibition with Deucravacitinib Improves Clinical Outcomes and Resolves Interferon-Driven Inflammation in Lichen Planopilaris

    March 2026
    Alyssa Stockard, Zachary Leibovit-Reiben, Bowen Hu, Rundong Jiang, Bryce T. Roberts, Scott Penner, Xing Li, Zeni Ramirez, Keegan Stewart, Jennifer Fox, Rachael Bogle, Nan Zhang, Samantha C. Shao, Henrique Borges da Silva, David J. DiCaudo, Samantha Zunich, Thaís Pincelli, L. Tsoi, Mark R. Pittelkow, Jason C. Sluzevich, Johann E. Gudjonsson, Aaron R. Mangold
    Image
    Studysummary In this clinical trial, patients with lichen planopilaris treated with the oral TYK2 inhibitor deucravacitinib showed significant improvement in PGA, LPPAI, and Skindex-16 scores over 24 weeks, with transcriptomic analyses indicating decreased inflammatory and immune pathway activity post-treatment. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    In a clinical trial involving 10 patients with Lichen Planopilaris (LPP), treatment with deucravacitinib, a TYK2 inhibitor, at 6 mg BID for 24 weeks resulted in significant clinical improvements, as evidenced by enhanced PGA (88.9%, p=0.008), LPPAI (-2.3 points, SD 1.1, p=0.002), and Skindex-16 (-21.0 points, SD 22.1, p=0.014) scores. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that untreated LPP was associated with upregulated type I Interferon-stimulated genes and inflammatory pathways, which were downregulated following treatment. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed a reduction in T-cell receptor signaling and antiviral pathways in CD8+GZMK+ T cells, decreased cytokine and interferon signaling in basal keratinocytes, and attenuated CCL19+ fibroblast activity. These findings suggest that deucravacitinib effectively suppresses inflammatory circuits in LPP, offering a promising therapeutic strategy.
    Discuss this study in the Community →