Project description:Alopecia areata (AA) is a prevalent disease associated with major emotional distress, and lacks effective, safe therapeutics for patients with extensive hair loss. This is the first report of hair regrowth with specific cytokine antagonism, in three patients with extensive hair loss ranging from 40% scalp involvement to alopecia universalis. Ustekinumab, an IL-12/23p40 antagonist that is highly effective in psoriasis, showed impressive ability to induce hair regrowth, coupled with suppression of inflammatory pathways and upregulation of hair keratins. Our report suggests that extensive AA is reversible using targeted treatments, opening the door for specific cytokine antagonism for this debilitating disease.
Project description:Alopecia areata (AA) is a prevalent disease associated with major emotional distress, and lacks effective, safe therapeutics for patients with extensive hair loss. This is the first report of hair regrowth with specific cytokine antagonism, in three patients with extensive hair loss ranging from 40% scalp involvement to alopecia universalis. Ustekinumab, an IL-12/23p40 antagonist that is highly effective in psoriasis, showed impressive ability to induce hair regrowth, coupled with suppression of inflammatory pathways and upregulation of hair keratins. Our report suggests that extensive AA is reversible using targeted treatments, opening the door for specific cytokine antagonism for this debilitating disease. We evaluated hair regrowth in three AA patients at 20 weeks after treatment with 3 subcutaneous doses of 90mg ustekinumab given at weeks 0, 4, and 16. Skin biopsies of lesional and non-lesional scalp (when available) were taken at baseline (week 0) and at week 20. We also obtained biopsies from three healthy individuals.
Project description:Two patients with alopecia areata were treated with systemic ruxolitinib. Skin biopsies were taken before starting treatment and 12 weeks after starting treatment. We used microarrays to assess changes in gene expression of affected skin before and after starting treatment Two patients with alopecia areata were recruited for our study. Skin biopsies of affected scalp were taken prior to starting treatment with oral ruxolinitib. Additional skin biopsies were taken 12 weeks after starting treatment. Scalp skin biopsies were taken from patients without alopecia areata for comparison. RNA was extracted, cDNA libraries were made and profiled on affymetrix microarray chips.
Project description:Autoimmune alopecia is a prevalent, highly morbid disease. The inflammatory pathways causing hair loss are not well characterized. We profiled two tissue microarrays comparing healthy skin to scarring alopecia and alopecia areata via spatial transcriptomics to analyze the genes and pathways dysregulated in autoimmune alopecia in direct proximity to the hair follicle.
Project description:The C3H/HeJ grafted model of alopecia areata was used to determine the efficacy of systemic baricitinib at preventing alopecia or treating established disease. The efficacy of topical baricitinib at treating established alopecia in the C3H/HeJ grafted model was also assessed. Microarrays were performed on skin RNA at week 0 and week 12 after starting treatment in all models. Baricitinib was administered in systemic form at the time of grafting. Skin samples were taken after 12 weeks.