Alopecia Areata and Dr. Angela Christiano

Despite the main focus of this blog being on androgenetic alopecia (AGA), I have made a number of posts about alopecia areata (AA) during the past year. Note that alopecia areata can be in the form of alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis.

Over 95 percent of hair loss patients suffer from AGA, also known as male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss.

Alopecia Areata Treatment Breakthroughs

Over the past year, a lot of good news has come out regarding alopecia areata treatments involving JAK inhibitors. This is due to the great work of people such as Dr. Angela Christiano and Dr. Brett King.

Alopecia Areata Hair Loss Photo
Alopecia Areata hair loss patient from Dr. Christiano’s presentation.

In my opinion, there is also a chance that these JAK inhibitor drugs may benefit people with certain types of androgenetic alopecia. In particular, when there is an inflammatory (dandruff, itching, scaling) component involved too. However, this is pure conjecture on my part and entirely unproven.

Dr. Angela Christiano Video

Dr. Angela Christiano recently published a good video on alopecia areata, and it includes her personal experiences with the disease. There is more of a female focus in Dr. Christiano and her Columbia University team’s latest research, which is a rarity in the hair loss world.

This video is embedded below.  A few of the more interesting sections include:

  • 11:00 = I was quite surprised to read that alopecia areata affects 5.3 million people in the US, with a 1.7 percent lifetime risk.
  • 11:42 = comparison with genes involved in psoriosis and vitiligo.
  • 12:15 and 12:45 = most important part of the presentation related to research on Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. These include Ruxolitinib (JAK 1,2); Tofacitinib (JAK 1,2,3); Baricitinib (JAK 1,2); VX-509 (JAK 1,2); and R348 (JAK 1,2). The last three mentioned are not yet approved, while the first two are FDA approved for certain applications. You can read more about those drugs via the “Categories” section in the left hand column of this blog.
  • 12:57 = Results on mice.
  • 23:47 = Great results on a woman and later on a man.

4 thoughts on “Alopecia Areata and Dr. Angela Christiano”

  1. Hola estos medicamentos pueden llegar a servir para la alopecia androgenetica??? hay novedades si en el 2015 pueden llegar a salir nuevas alternativas???? alguien sabe algo?

  2. I am female and have had AA since I was 15 (I am 35 now). Its been my experience that doctors never gave AA the credibility it deserved because it doesn’t cause physical pain. Over the years I’ve taken my theories to doctors only to go down the same two dead ends of the system- they were only willing to test my thyroid or send me to the dermatologist. Once I did get an allergy doctor, who had previously had a career doing research for Yale, justify a food allergy test. And I’m not alone, there are many blogs, articles, books etc of people fighting, and surviving on hope just like I was.

    Little did we know that among our ranks was Dr. Christano and her amazing team and partners! God bless the day her hair stylist discovered her AA! For the depth of my pain that AA has caused will be the height of my joy and gratitude for a head of hair!

    Thank you Dr. Christano for letting your pain turn to passion and for your articulation in this presentation of what its like emotionally to have AA. My daughter and I love your hair and admire you for who you are as a woman. Blessings be with you. (I know this is all in the trial stage but I cant help it! Hooray!! Finally!)

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