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| Kyle Rhodes after using an arthritis drug to treat alopecia areata (Image Source) |
It's funny
sometimes how answers to life's problems come in unexpected packages. In this
case of baldness
cure, it comes in the form of an arthritis drug. It is when a certain Kyle
Rhodes, who has spent most of his life hairless, was the lucky patient to try
it and enjoyed its successful results. From a head and body completely barren
of hair, he is now happy with how a lot of it is growing in.
In a CNN interview
the 25-year-old Rhodes shared that he was diagnosed with a condition called
Alopecia Universalis when he was just 2 years old. This is when a person not only
loses the hairs on his head, but also the ones all over his body. It started to
fall off in patches but it was by the time he turned 18 when every hair from
his body was totally gone. This was a total blow to his self-esteem and social
life, which also left him the target of a lot of rude comments and jokes.
Alopecia
Universalis at a Glance
Alopecia is a
condition where a person loses some part or all of his hair. This may either be
a temporary occurrence or a permanent condition and is classified into
different types. This includes the following:
Alopecia Areata
(AA) – describes the loss of hair that occur in patches all anywhere on your
body.
Alopecia Totalis
(AT) – this is total hair loss on the scalp.
Alopecia
Universalis (AU) – total hair loss all over the body and plaque psoriasis, which
is characterized by red scaly areas of the skin.
Alopecia Barbae
– loss of facial hair in men particularly in the bearded area
Alopecia
Mucinosa – a type of alopecia that is characterized by scaly patches
Androgenetic
Alopecia – male pattern baldness also considered to be a hereditary form of
hair loss
Traction
Alopecia – caused by too much force applied on the hair
Unexpected Answer
Rhodes, sought
any help he could find, and he was referred to Yale University. Dr. Brett
A.King, who is the assistant professor of dermatology at YaleUniversity School of Medicine and also the senior author of the case study,
suggested that since the problem is caused by an autoimmune disorder, why not
treat it with a drug that is also used for another autoimmune case? For this he
chose Xeljanz, a drug that is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Xeljanz, which
is also known as tofacitinib citrate, is an FDA-approved drug for rheumatoid
arthritis. But it was also found to be a successful treatment for psoriasis in
humans. But more than that, what is also a revelation is that it is also able
to reverse alopecia areata in mice studies.
So they tried
the treatment on Rhodes and placed him on tofacitinib at 10 mg daily. After two
months of continued treatment, his psoriasis showed some improvement. More than
that, he also grew scalp and facial hair – the very first ones the he had grown
in years. The therapy continued on for three more months at an increased dose
of 15 mg daily. With that, the patient showed more improved results as Rhodes
completely grown all of his scalp hair and also showed more visible eyebrows,
facial hair, eyelashes and even some armpit hairs. He was already sporting full
regrowth at eight months time.
The drug
encourages hair regrowth by basically turning off the immune system's attack on
the hair follicles. Tofacitinib was able to improve some cases of psoriasis,
but in the case of Rhodes, it showed to be mildly effective.
Side effects
It is only
normal to be concerned on whether this drug poses certain side effects just
like any other. But according to Rhodes, he did not experience any side effects,
which was also reflected on his lab tests as it showed no abnormalities.
Dr. King is
ecstatic with the results but also shares that he would like to try it out on
more patients. He submitted a proposal for a clinical trial for a tofacitinib
cream to serve as treatment for alopecia areata.
However, a
certain Dr. George Cotsarelis, the chairman of dermatology at the University of
Pannsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, expressed concerned when asked by
CNN for comments. He explains that some people who have taken the drug have
died due to infections like tuberculosis. Other was even threatened with more
serious cases such as the increased risk of cancer, which was also mentioned in
the product's website.
But it is that
very reason why King was interested in developing the cream so that instead of
exposing the whole body with the effects of the oral drug, the action now will
be more focused and localized to the areas that are affected with hair loss.
Drawbacks
Both doctors
shared the same point that the drug will work for the type of baldness that is
caused by old age. So for those who are in their twilight and still wishing to
regain lost hair, it might not be good idea to get your hopes up.
Another concern
is that it is not yet clear whether you should be taking the drug for life to maintain
the results. Of course with long use, one would really be concerned with
eventual side effects.
But it is the
cost of this drug that would really have most people backing down. Tofacitinib
is a new and expensive drug. Not counting insurance, this could take you back
$25,000 every year.
Despite being a
rather hopeful case, one should still practice extra caution. This drug or
treatment still needs further studies. In time, one can only hope that it will
surely give them the relief that they have long waited for.
