%0 Journal Article
%T Reversal of Alopecia Areata Following Treatment With the JAK1/2 Inhibitor Baricitinib.
%A Jabbari A
%A Dai Z
%A Xing L
%A Cerise JE
%A Ramot Y
%A Berkun Y
%A Sanchez GA
%A Goldbach-Mansky R
%A Christiano AM
%A Clynes R
%A Zlotogorski A
%J EBioMedicine
%V 2
%N 4
%D Apr 2015
%M 26137574
%F 11.205
%R 10.1016/j.ebiom.2015.02.015
%X BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease resulting in hair loss with devastating psychosocial consequences. Despite its high prevalence, there are no FDA-approved treatments for AA. Prior studies have identified a prominent interferon signature in AA, which signals through JAK molecules.
METHODS: A patient with AA was enrolled in a clinical trial to examine the efficacy of baricitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, to treat concomitant CANDLE syndrome. In vivo, preclinical studies were conducted using the C3H/HeJ AA mouse model to assess the mechanism of clinical improvement by baricitinib.
RESULTS: The patient exhibited a striking improvement of his AA on baricitinib over several months. In vivo studies using the C3H/HeJ mouse model demonstrated a strong correlation between resolution of the interferon signature and clinical improvement during baricitinib treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: Baricitinib may be an effective treatment for AA and warrants further investigation in clinical trials.