The genetics of alopecia areata: new approaches, new findings, new treatments

Roni Biran; Abraham Zlotogorski; Yuval Ramot

doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2015.01.004

The genetics of alopecia areata: new approaches, new findings, new treatments

J Dermatol Sci. 2015 Apr;78(1):11-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2015.01.004. Epub 2015 Jan 28.

Authors

Roni Biran¹, Abraham Zlotogorski¹, Yuval Ramot²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dermatology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, PO Box 12000, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel.
² Department of Dermatology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, PO Box 12000, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel. Electronic address: yramot@gmail.com.

PMID: 25676427
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2015.01.004

Abstract

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common immune-mediated hair loss disorder. Despite its high prevalence, its etiology is still largely unknown, but it is hypothesized to have a strong genetic basis. In the last decade, there has been a major progress in the field of genetic research, leading to novel findings regarding the genetic component of AA. The aim of this review is to summarize the information collected so far in this field, the basic principles of the genetic methods used in previous studies, and new therapeutic strategies that might become available in light of the new findings.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02018042.

Keywords: Alopecia; Alopecia areata; GWAS; Genetics; Hair; Immunology.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Alopecia Areata / diagnosis
Alopecia Areata / genetics*
Alopecia Areata / immunology
Alopecia Areata / therapy
Animals
Autoimmunity / genetics
Genetic Markers*
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Genome-Wide Association Study
Humans
Phenotype
Prognosis
Risk Factors
Signal Transduction / genetics

Substances

Genetic Markers

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02018042