March 2024 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” This study observed that dandruff-affected scalp skin has increased T-cell infiltration in the epidermis and a reduction in the hair follicle's physiological immune privilege, particularly in the suprabulbar outer root sheath area, indicating a distinct immune microenvironment compared to healthy scalp.
November 2023 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study found that in mice, hyper-activated JAK-STAT1 signaling due to EGFR inhibitor treatment leads to scarring alopecia, but JAK1/2 inhibition can restore hair follicle immune privilege and promote new hair growth.
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.
This research observed that EGFR activity appears to maintain hair follicle quiescence and immune privilege, and its inhibition may lead to stem cell apoptosis and scarring alopecia during inflammation.
This study found that in an ex vivo model simulating alopecia areata, the DHODH inhibitor farudodstat reduced T-cell proliferation and MHC protein expression in hair follicles, suggesting it may protect against immune privilege collapse without cytotoxic effects.
April 2023 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study reported that in mouse models, deletion of EGFR resulted in stem cell hyper-proliferation followed by apoptosis, leading to scarring alopecia, and implicated EGFR's role in maintaining hair follicle quiescence and immune privilege during inflammation.
April 2023 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This research developed new in vitro models for high-throughput screening of drugs that could protect or restore immune privilege in hair follicles, finding that Tofacitinib was effective in preventing inflammation-related marker upregulation, while Tacrolimus and αMSH worked specifically in outer root sheath keratinocytes.
November 2022 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study observed that dandruff is linked to a weakened immunoprivilege in hair follicles, with reduced Langerhans cells and increased epidermal CD4+ and CD8+ T cell infiltration.
November 2022 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study implicates EGFR as a critical regulator of immune privilege and stem cell quiescence in hair follicles, suggesting a link between EGFR inhibition and inflammation-driven hair loss during cancer therapy.
November 2022 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study reported that IL-15 promotes human hair growth and protects hair follicle immune privilege, potentially stabilizing alopecia areata treatment outcomes when selectively stimulating IL-15Rα signaling.
July 2022 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that a TYK2 inhibitor, BMS-986202, may restore immune privilege in hair follicles and promote hair regrowth in a humanized alopecia areata mouse model by inhibiting IL-12-mediated signaling.
July 2022 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This study found that epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors used in cancer treatment induce a distinct inflammatory response in hair follicles, marked by immune privilege collapse and upregulation of inflammatory pathways.
October 2021 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that interleukin-12 signals play a role in hair follicle immune privilege collapse in ex vivo alopecia areata models, and a TYK2 inhibitor may help prevent or reverse this process.
August 2021 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This article reviews current treatments for alopecia areata, discussing the potential role of JAK inhibitors and noting the need for further clinical trials, but it reports no new results.
April 2021 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study suggests that rather than inhibiting IL-15, selectively stimulating IL-15Ra-mediated signaling could be beneficial for managing alopecia areata and possibly other inflammatory hair loss conditions, as IL-15 promoted hair growth and maintained immune privilege in human hair follicles.
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.
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.
April 2023 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study reports that CD200R expression is significantly reduced in an experimental mouse model of scarring alopecia, suggesting a potential role for this pathway in immune regulation and hair follicle protection.
47 citations
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December 2011 in “Experimental Dermatology” This study suggests that the neuropeptide CGRP may protect against, but not restore, IFNγ-induced collapse of hair follicle immune privilege in alopecia areata.
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.
79 citations
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December 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” This article proposes that alopecia areata may be caused by immune attacks on hair follicles after an immune privilege collapse, suggesting new therapeutic approaches targeting this immune response pattern.
1 citations
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April 2024 in “Journal of Autoimmunity” This study found that rhIL-15 promotes human hair follicle growth and regrowth in experimental settings and may have therapeutic potential for alopecia areata by restoring immune privilege guardianship.
May 2026 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” This review highlights emerging evidence that chemotherapy-induced alopecia may be driven by immune mechanisms similar to alopecia areata, involving hair follicle immune privilege collapse, and evaluates Janus kinase inhibitors as potential treatments, while cautioning about their immunosuppressive risks in cancer patients.
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.
July 2022 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study suggests that interleukin-15 plays a complex role in alopecia areata, potentially contributing to immune infiltration while also protecting against hair follicle immune privilege collapse and promoting hair growth.
6 citations
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November 2018 in “American journal of transplantation” This study reported that using UVB preirradiation and anti-CD154 antibody treatment in a humanized mouse model prolonged hair follicle allograft survival and reduced immune cell infiltration without needing generalized immunosuppression.
July 2026 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” July 2026 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” July 2022 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” 2 citations
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June 2025 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”