Eight genes that play a part in the development of alopecia areata have been identified by scientists. The same genes are also implicated in other autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.
The fact that there are already drugs in development which target these genes is great news. As Angela Christiano, the professor of dermatology and genetics and development at Columbia University Medical Centre in New York, says:
“This greatly accelerated our ability to think about new drugs for patients with alopecia areata because so much work has already been done in these other diseases. It is a huge advantage.”
Alopecia areata is one of the most common forms of autoimmune disease. It causes hair to fall out, normally in patches, but occasionally over the entire scalp or even the whole body.
The research showed that the number of genes a person had that were associated with alopecia corresponded with the severity of the condition. If a person had more than 16 alopecia-associated genes, they were more likely to experience total hair loss, for example.
One gene in particular seemed to have a big impact. Chistiano said:
“In people with alopecia areata, we see a huge expression of the ULBP3 gene in the outermost layer of the follicle. ULBP3 is a danger signal that signals to T cells to come in and attack the follicle. It’s like putting nectar on the hair follicle, then the ‘bees’ come in and do their damage.”