Bone Marrow Drug May Help Cure Alopecia Areata

According to a study conducted by the research team at Columbia University Medical Center, the hair on mice could be fully restored in a span of 4 to 5 months with the help of a drug known as Ruxolitinib, which is meant for the bone marrow disease. Their findings were published in Nature Medicine. Research leader, Dr. Raphael Clynes said, “We"ve only begun testing the drug in patients, but if the drug continues to be successful and safe, it will have a dramatic positive impact on the lives of people with this disease.”

The new study was conducted on 5 men and 7 women. It was found that by using Ruxolitinib, the hair growth of 3 patients suffering from moderate-to-severe alopecia areata was restored completely within a span of 4 to 5 months. In addition to hair growth, the T cells that cause harm to the hair follicles were not found on the scalps of the patients.

Dr. David Bickers from the Department of Dermatology, CUMC, was quoted as calling the results of the study, “a major step forward in improving the standard of care for patients suffering from this devastating disease."This is indeed a major breakthrough in medicine, although it is not the first drug for a certain disease has helped patients with alopecia. In the month of June, another study resulted in restoring the hair growth of a 25-year old alopecia patient with the help of the drug Tofacitinib, which is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.