May 2025 in “Journal of the Egyptian Womenʼs Dermatologic Society” This study found that immune privilege is preserved in hair follicles of nonsegmental vitiligo patients compared to those with alopecia areata, potentially protecting follicular melanocytes from autoimmune attacks.
13 citations
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May 2005 in “Seminars in Plastic Surgery” This article discusses the cell therapy potential of follicular cell implantation for hair regeneration and reports no new clinical results, emphasizing the role of dermal papilla cells in forming new follicles.
July 2026 in “Expert Review of Clinical Immunology” This review highlights that alopecia areata is characterized by three immune endotypes, and while JAK inhibitors offer temporary control, upcoming multi-omics diagnostics and immune reprogramming strategies may achieve longer-lasting remission, according to this analysis.
37 citations
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December 2001 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that human follicular papilla cells in the scalp produce leptin and express functional leptin receptors, suggesting leptin's significant role in hair biology.
March 2026 in “Frontiers in Medicine” This study provides a framework for understanding different types of alopecias based on immune privilege collapse at specific follicular sites, revealing distinct patterns in immune effector programs and stromal influences depending on the alopecia type.
January 2025 in “Frontiers in Medicine” This study reviews the role of hair follicles in the development, symptoms, and treatment options for vitiligo and alopecia areata, aiming to enhance understanding of their involvement in these autoimmune conditions and explore potential therapies.
15 citations
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February 2006 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” More research is needed to understand and treat cicatricial alopecias.
107 citations
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December 2013 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This review summarizes the anatomical and physiological aspects of human hair and its clinical significance, but does not report new research findings.
January 2026 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This review highlights a disconnect between mechanistic insights and physiological relevance in preclinical models of hair loss disorders and suggests a shift toward more human-relevant systems could enhance translational research, despite limitations in existing models like transgenic mice and xenografts.
December 2025 in “Medicine - Programa de Formación Médica Continuada Acreditado” This review synthesizes recent advancements in clinical trichology, highlighting updates on androgenetic alopecia treatments like low-dose oral minoxidil, 5α-reductase inhibitors, and other therapeutic options for various alopecia types, including telogen/anagen effluvium and alopecia areata, and detailed approaches for scarring alopecias and pediatric trichology.
April 2017 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that miR-486 and miR-451 levels were reduced in alopecia areata-affected skin, and delivering their mimics to mice mitigated symptoms by reducing inflammation and immune activity.
Recent discoveries have improved our understanding of hair loss, but challenges in treatment and knowledge among specialists still exist.
53 citations
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September 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study suggests that cultured hair follicle dermal sheath cup cells exhibit immune privilege properties, partly through the expression of PD-L1, which impacts co-cultured immune cells' behavior.
June 2025 in “Academic Medical Journal” This review discusses the mechanisms underlying the collapse of hair follicle immune privilege in alopecia areata and emphasizes the importance of therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring immune tolerance.
40 citations
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August 2022 in “Frontiers in immunology” This review discusses the potential of JAK inhibitors as a promising treatment strategy for alopecia areata, highlighting their mechanism and recent FDA approval based on clinical trial efficacy.
November 2025 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” CBD can help hair grow by supporting scalp health and reducing inflammation.
2 citations
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December 2011 in “[Thesis]. Manchester, UK: The University of Manchester; 2011.” The study suggests that immune privilege collapse in bulge cells and the involvement of pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon-γ contribute to hair follicle stem cell loss in lichen planopilaris.
September 2023 in “Drugs in context” This article discusses baricitinib, a JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitor, as an approved and promising treatment for alopecia areata but reports no new clinical results.
5 citations
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November 2008 in “Advances in Dermatology” This review discusses advancements in understanding hair cycle and inflammatory alopecias, proposing a standard classification and tiered treatment recommendations, but reports no clinical results.
27 citations
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January 2013 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study identified somatostatin as a potential secretory factor contributing to the immune privilege of human hair follicles.
4 citations
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January 2015 in “International Journal of Trichology” In this study, transplanted hair follicles from different body sites showed changes in morphology and immune status, suggesting their ability to adapt and function in new recipient areas such as the scalp or eyebrows.
September 2017 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study suggests that sweat glands may have an immune privilege similar to hair follicles, and disruptions in this could contribute to autoimmune skin diseases.
102 citations
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December 2017 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings” This review discusses the role of immune privilege collapse in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata, emphasizing the potential for therapeutic manipulation of hair bulb immune privilege to offer new treatment options, and reports no new results.
16 citations
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July 2020 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” This study found that ruxolitinib modulated inflammatory changes and stimulated growth factor signals by blocking the JAK-STAT pathway in an in vitro model of alopecia areata.
4 citations
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April 2010 in “Expert review of dermatology” This article discusses the immune privilege in hair follicles and suggests that restoring its collapse might be an effective strategy for treating alopecia areata and cicatricial alopecia, but it reports no new clinical results.
October 2023 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” This study demonstrated that disrupting EGFR signaling in mice leads to immune sensitivity compromising the hair follicle's protective environment, but JAK1/2 inhibition can restore this immune privilege and stimulate hair growth, suggesting a potential therapy for scarring hair loss diseases like cicatricial alopecia.
April 2018 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction might contribute to the pathogenesis of Lichen planopilaris by triggering a metabolic shift that leads to chronic inflammation and hair follicle damage.
February 2026 in “ImmunoTargets and Therapy” This study found that tumor immunotherapy, while effective against solid tumors, can disrupt the immune balance in hair follicles, causing follicular toxicity and alopecia, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to manage these adverse effects.
134 citations
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July 2020 in “Experimental dermatology” This review discusses immune privilege in anagen hair follicles and its collapse in alopecia areata, emphasizing the importance of restoring this function for effective management and disease relapse prevention.
1 citations
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November 2023 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Farudodstat may effectively treat alopecia areata without harming hair follicles.