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Is Research Close to Finding
Better Treatments or a Cure?
While a cure is not imminent,
researchers are making headway toward a better understanding of the disease.
This increased understanding will likely lead the way to better treatments
for alopecia areata and eventually a way to prevent or even cure it.
Alopecia research ranges from
the most basic studies of the mechanisms of hair growth and hair loss in
mice to testing medications and ways to apply medications to help regrow
hair in people. Both the National Institutes of Health and the National
Alopecia Areata Foundation support research into the disease and its
treatment. Here are some areas of research that hold promise.
- Developing an animal model--This
is a critical first step toward understanding the disease, and much
progress has been made. By developing a mouse with a disease similar to
human alopecia areata, researchers hope to learn more about the mechanism
of the disease and eventually develop immune system treatments for the
disease in people.
- Mapping genes--Scientists
are studying the possible genetic causes and mechanism of the disease both
in families that have one or more persons with the disease and in the
general population. An understanding of the genetics of the disorder will
aid in disease prevention, early intervention, and development of specific
therapies.
- Studying hair follicle development--By
studying how hair follicles form in mouse embryos, researchers hope to
gain a better understanding of hair cycle biology that may lead to
treatments for the underlying disease process.
- Targeting the immune system--Several
new agents found to be effective in treating psoriasis may prove to be
effective in alopecia areata. These drugs work by blocking certain
chemical messengers that play a role in the immune response, or by
interfering with the activity of white blood cells (called T-cells) that
are involved in the immune system's attack on hair follicles. New
therapies for treating other autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis
and lupus may also benefit patients with alopecia areata.
- Finding better ways to administer
drugs--One limitation of current topical therapies is getting the
drug to the source of the problem. Scientists are looking for a substance
that penetrates the fat under the skin to deliver medication directly to
hair follicles. In laboratory animals, topically applied synthetic sacs
called liposomes seem to fill the bill. Studies are still needed to show
whether liposomes do the same for people.
- Understanding cytokines--Chemical
messengers called cytokines play a role in regulating the body's immune
response, whether it is the normal response to a foreign invader such a
virus or an abnormal response to a part of the body. Researchers believe
that by giving certain inflammation-suppressing cytokines, they may be
able to slow down or stop the body's abnormal response to the hair
follicles. Because giving the cytokines systemically may cause adverse
effects, they believe a topical medication using liposomes to get the
agents to the root of the hair inside the follicle may be preferable.
- Understanding stem cell biology--Epithelial
stem cells are immature cells that are responsible for regenerating and
maintaining a variety of tissues, including the skin and the hair
follicles. Stem cells in the follicle appear to be spared from injury in
alopecia areata, which may explain why the potential for regrowth is
always there in people with the disease. By studying the biology of these
cells, and their immediate offspring, which seem to be targeted by the
immune system, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of factors
that trigger the disease.
Copyright Notice:
Reprinted with permission from:
National Institute of Arthritis
and Musculoskeletal
and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
NIAMS/National Institutes of Health
1 AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3675
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