JAK Inhibitors for hair loss: how they work
New research has shown that Janus-kinase inhibitors, also known as “JAK inhibitors”, could be the answer we’ve been looking for in the treatment of alopecia areata. The effects of JAK inhibitors on hair regrowth was accidentally discovered during a study of Tofacitinib as a treatment for psoriasis.
The trials have shown that mice receiving Ruxolitinib and Tofacitinib regrew new hair within ten days
One patient who was treated hadn’t had any hair growth in 7 years. However, at the end of his trial, his hair had regrown.
The latest study from Columbia University confirms that JAK inhibitors such as Ruxolitinib and Tofacitinib may have a positive effect on hair growth.
by applying JAK inhibitors topically we are able to control the hair growth mechanism and help the hair follicle revert to the anagen phase
The study was based on JAK enzymes’ involvement in the hair growth cycle: in alopecia areata, the baldness is caused by the hair follicles getting stuck in the telogen phase due to an auto immune response. This auto immune disease can be caused by stress or a sudden shock and this disrupts the normal hair growth cycle. JAK treatments target the enzymes inside the hair follicles to go beyond the telogen phase and resume their normal growth cycle.
The trials have shown that mice receiving Ruxolitinib and Tofacitinib regrew new hair within ten days from administration. The findings suggest that by applying JAK inhibitors topically we are able to control the hair growth mechanism and help the hair follicle revert to the anagen phase.
Furthermore, the treatment regulates the activation of key hair follicle populations as well as improving the inductivity of cultured human dermal papilla cells. There are also at least two additional clinical trials that are trying to show the effects of Tofacitinib as a treatment for severe hair loss such as Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis as well as teams trying to concentrate on male and female pattern baldness.