New Areas of Research
What’s exciting is that new scientific understanding of alopecia areata is leading researchers in new directions. There remains an important need for new treatments for alopecia areata.
Janus kinases (JAKs) are a group of enzymes that play an important role in immune defense within our cells. Researchers have discovered that inhibiting this pathway can be beneficial in treating immune-mediated diseases.
Source: https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(20)31499-8/fulltext
By studying how hair follicles form, develop, and cycle through growth and resting phases, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of hair growth cycle biology that may lead to treatments for the underlying disease process.
Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/alopecia_areata/
Epithelial stem cells are immature cells that are responsible for regenerating and maintaining a variety of tissues. By studying the biology of these cells, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of factors that trigger alopecia areata.
Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/alopecia_areata/
Scientists have identified genetic variations associated with the development of alopecia areata along with similarities to other autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and celiac disease.
Source: http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/alopecia_areata/
