Januskinaseinhibitoren in der Therapie der Alopecia areata

Abstract

Alopecia areata is acommon condition that leads to nonscarring hair loss. It can be severe and lead to complete hair loss of the scalp or the whole body. In more severe cases, the disease can be very recalcitrant to treatment and result in asignificant impairment of the quality of life of the patients. In recent years, there is increasing evidence on the potential of janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors to treat alopecia areata. In the beginning, this was based on case reports, but later, this potential was further established by large case series and in vitro and in vivo data. It is on this basis that JAK inhibitors are being tested specifically for the treatment of alopecia areata in phase3, randomized, placebo-controlled trials, raising hopes that there will soon be a JAK inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of alopecia areata. Here we provide areview of the information available on the use of JAK inhibitors to treat alopecia areata, and the potential benefits and risks of this class of medications.