February 2026 in “Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology” In this single-cell transcriptomic study, researchers analyzed AA scalp samples and found distinct immune and nonimmune cell activation patterns, with elevated TH1/TH2 and JAK/STAT markers potentially contributing to hair follicle immune privilege disruption and disease severity.
September 2025 in “Frontiers in Immunology” This review examines the interconnected processes of atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata, highlighting shared immune imbalances, genetic factors, and microbiome influences, while analyzing current and emerging treatments and identifying gaps in understanding these overlapping conditions.
Using high-throughput proteomics, this study identified 34 differentially expressed proteins in the lesional skin of adults with scalp psoriasis, suggesting a cytokine storm response linked to bacterial antigens.
January 2020 in “Der Pharmacia Lettre” This review discusses natural remedies and nanoparticle formulations for alopecia management and reports no new clinical results, emphasizing potential benefits of herbal treatments over synthetic therapies.
April 2019 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Targeting immune pathways like JAK/STAT may help treat frontal fibrosing alopecia.
31 citations
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February 2014 in “Inflammation Research” This study found that reduced expression of CD200R1 on monocyte-derived macrophages in rheumatoid arthritis patients was significantly associated with higher disease severity and an imbalance in Th17/Treg cells.
October 2025 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Lasheras-Pérez et al. reported that JAK3 and TYK2 proteins are activated in certain forms of primary cicatricial alopecia, suggesting the JAK/TYK/STAT pathway as a potential therapeutic target for these conditions.
2 citations
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April 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study suggests that frontal fibrosing alopecia is a highly inflammatory disease involving TH1 and JAK-STAT pathways, without reduced hair keratins, highlighting JAK-STAT signaling as a potential therapeutic target.
176 citations
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August 2015 in “The journal of allergy and clinical immunology/Journal of allergy and clinical immunology/The journal of allergy and clinical immunology” This study identified a distinct cytokine activation signature in alopecia areata, involving TH2, TH1, IL-23, and IL-9/TH9 pathways, suggesting potential targeting strategies similar to those in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
April 2023 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” In this study, researchers developed a mouse model of scarring alopecia and observed significant reductions in CD200R expression in affected skin, potentially linking this signaling pathway to immune attacks on hair follicles and suggesting new treatment targets for scarring hair loss.
30 citations
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May 2016 in “Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy” This review discusses immune pathways involved in alopecia areata and explores emerging, more targeted therapeutic strategies, noting their potential for better safety and effectiveness compared to traditional immune suppressants.
127 citations
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January 2000 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that pro-inflammatory cytokines and apoptotic mechanisms, specifically involving granzyme B and Fas pathways, are associated with chronic alopecia areata, indicating their potential role in the disease's persistence.
58 citations
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July 2018 in “Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology” Alopecia areata severity is linked to increased TH1 and TH2 activity.
69 citations
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February 2008 in “The American journal of pathology” This study found that local injections of interleukin-4 and neutralizing anti-interferon-γ antibody effectively treated alopecia in a mouse model, suggesting potential therapeutic pathways for human alopecia areata.
15 citations
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December 2018 in “International journal of environmental research and public health/International journal of environmental research and public health” This study observed that Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) can inhibit phosphorylation of STAT1 and reduce a specific subset of immune cells in vitro and ex vivo, suggesting a potential role in maintaining immune privilege in alopecia areata.
3 citations
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October 2020 in “The journal of investigative dermatology. Symposium proceedings/The Journal of investigative dermatology symposium proceedings” This research discusses the complex immune pathogenesis of alopecia areata and highlights the success of Jak inhibitors and IL-4Rα antagonists, while IL-17A and PDE4 inhibitors showed limited efficacy; controlled trials are advocated to better understand cytokine involvement.
1 citations
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April 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that FZD2 is crucial for hair follicle formation and postnatal growth in mice and has a novel role in regulating early epidermal development, including stratification and cornification.
This study identified distinct immune differences in patients with alopecia areata, particularly those with atopic backgrounds, and highlighted the OX40 axis as a potential therapeutic target for the condition.
January 2024 in “Frontiers in endocrinology” This study found that genetic variants linked to hypothyroidism significantly increased the risk of developing alopecia areata, suggesting a causative connection between the two conditions.
April 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that acne lesions and nonlesional skin in mild-to-moderate acne patients showed significant Th17-skewing and increased antimicrobials, suggesting systemic targets like IL-17/IL-23/IL-36 could be therapeutic.
July 2026 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Alopecia totalis/universalis involves more intense immune activity and inflammation than patchy alopecia areata.
December 2025 in “Mycoses” In this study involving a murine skin infection model, researchers found that the Trichophyton mentagrophytes strain TIMM 2789, specific to rodents, induced typical symptoms of superficial dermatophytosis, while revealing that the fungal gene SUB6 is not essential for virulence.
June 2023 in “Research Square (Research Square)” This study identified shared gene expression changes and immune cell infiltration patterns that may contribute to hair loss in alopecia areata and cutaneous lupus erythematosus, but also highlighted factors that might preserve hair in psoriasis patients.
71 citations
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October 2013 in “Experimental Dermatology” This review discusses the similar immune pathways and genetic risk factors of vitiligo and alopecia areata but reports no new clinical findings, emphasizing the potential for shared treatment research.
In this study, researchers found that CD4 T cells from the skin draining lymph nodes of mice with alopecia areata can transfer the disease to recipient mice, highlighting the key role of these cells and their interaction with CD8 T cells in the disease's development.
9 citations
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May 2005 in “Expert Review of Clinical Immunology” This article examines anticytokine therapies for autoimmune diseases, highlighting the potential of anti-interferon-γ as a universal treatment for certain conditions and noting varying effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors.
278 citations
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March 2013 in “Gut” In this study, nearly 5% of anti-TNF-treated patients with IBD developed psoriasiform skin lesions, with smoking identified as a main risk factor, and ustekinumab proved highly effective in severe cases.
April 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study found that both Th1 and Th2 cytokine markers were elevated in the serum and skin of patients with alopecia areata, with Th2 markers more closely linked to disease severity.
68 citations
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May 2011 in “European Journal of Dermatology” Acne is caused by genetics, diet, hormones, and bacteria, with treatments not yet curative.
55 citations
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October 2019 in “Dermatology and therapy” This review found that JAK/STAT pathway inhibitors, such as tofacitinib and ruxolitinib, led to symptom improvement in all observed atopic dermatitis cases, but responses were mixed for vitiligo and alopecia areata, with a generally mild safety profile reported.