JAK inhibitors for the treatment of alopecia areata

Alopecia areata (AA) is a kind of localized scalp hair loss of sudden onset, and patients with severe AA can progress to alopecia totalis (AT) and alopecia universalis (AU) . At present, AA is considered as a kind of organ-specific autoimmune disease with a genetic background, and destruction of immune privileged structures of hair follicles is an important pathogenesis of AA. Currently, therapeutic methods for AA include oral or topical glucocorticoids, intramuscular or intralesional injection of glucocorticoids, topical minoxidil tincture, etc., but some patients still show no response to the treatments. In recent years, various clinical trials have been conducted in abroad using JAK inhibitors for the treatment of AA. Researches have revealed that about half of patients with moderate to severe AA showed almost complete recovery after the treatment with oral JAK inhibitors. Topical ruxolitinib was also reported for the treatment of AA, but patients showed different response. Although some patients suffered from recurrence after drug withdrawal or infections and other adverse reactions during the treatment, JAK inhibitors can be an effective treatment option for moderate to severe AA. Key words: Alopecia areata; Janus kinases; Janus kinase inhibitors; Treatment