JAK inhibitors for the treatment of vitiligo

Shintaro Inoue; Tamio Suzuki; Shigetoshi Sano; Ichiro Katayama

doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2023.12.008

JAK inhibitors for the treatment of vitiligo

J Dermatol Sci. 2024 Mar;113(3):86-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2023.12.008. Epub 2024 Jan 11.

Authors

Shintaro Inoue¹, Tamio Suzuki², Shigetoshi Sano³, Ichiro Katayama⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cosmetic Health Science, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan. Electronic address: inoshin@gifu-pu.ac.jp.
² Department of Dermatology, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan.
³ Department of Dermatology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan.
⁴ Department of Pigmentation Research and Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.

PMID: 38326166
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2023.12.008

Abstract

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease involving melanocyte-targeting T cells initiated by environmental and genetic factors. Steroids and tacrolimus have been used as topical treatments. Recently, novel topical agents targeting Janus kinase (JAK), a family of tyrosine kinases that regulates cytokine signaling, have emerged. Ruxolitinib is the first approved in vitiligo therapy. Furthermore, ritlecitinib is currently under clinical trials for oral treatment of active vitiligo. In this review, we discuss the possibility of topical JAK inhibitors as promising options for the treatment of vitiligo with regard to their mechanism of action, efficacy and safety.

Keywords: IFN-γ; IL-15; Janus kinase; Ritlecitinib; Ruxolitinib; Vitiligo.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Administration, Topical
Humans
Janus Kinase Inhibitors* / therapeutic use
Janus Kinases
Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
Vitiligo* / drug therapy

Substances

Janus Kinase Inhibitors
Protein Kinase Inhibitors
Janus Kinases