Arthritis drug found to boost hair growth for alopecia sufferer

Male hair loss is not a life-threatening condition. Nobody has ever died from losing hair on the scalp, or indeed anywhere else around the body. However, it is widely accepted that for some men, losing their hair can have massive emotional and psychological damage.

One of the most common causes of hair loss is alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that typically causes round patches of rapid hair loss from some or even all areas of the body, but usually the scalp is the main area afflicted.

A more severe form of alopecia areata is known as alopecia universalis, whereby the sufferer unfortunately experiences total loss of all body hair. Perhaps the most well-known person to have alopecia universalis is comedian and star of Little Britain, Matt Lucas.

There remains no standard treatment or permanent cure for alopecia universalis, but experts have studied the possibilities of various treatments, such as immunomodulatory agents like imiquimod (the active ingredient in Aldara cream, used to treat genital warts).

However, doctors at Yale University in the U.S. have remarkably been able to reverse alopecia universalis in a 25-year-old unnamed male who also had plaque psoriasis. The man had initially requested help for his psoriasis, another autoimmune condition.

The doctors at Yale pondered if they could possibly treat both autoimmune problems with one single treatment, deciding to try the Pfizer-manufactured arthritis medication Xeljanz (tofacitinib citrate). This was chosen specifically as according to Science World Report, the drug had found to be effective in mice at treating both psoriasis and alopecia.

The patient was first administered with tofacitinib at 10mg daily by the doctors, and his psoriasis showed some improvement. However, he had also grown scalp and facial hair – the first hair he had grown in these areas for a staggering seven years.

After three more additional months of therapy, this time at a 15mg dose, the patient had benefited from a complete regrowth in scalp hair and quite visible eyebrows, eyelashes, and facial hair, as well as armpit and other hair, the doctors commented.

“The results are exactly what we hoped for,” said Brett A. King, M.D., senior author of the paper, published online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. “This is a huge step forward in the treatment of patients with this condition.”

“There are no good options for long-term treatment of alopecia universalis,” added King. “The best available science suggested this might work, and it has.”

According to King, scientists think the drug boosts hair growth by stopping the immune attack on hair follicles.

“By eight months there was full regrowth of hair,” said co-author Brittany G. Craiglow, M.D. “The patient has reported feeling no side effects, and we’ve seen no lab test abnormalities, either.”

Spironolactone could reduce the pain for millions with arthritis

The potassium-sparing diuretic Spironolactone may have another use in the near future after scientists found that it could help the millions of people around the world suffering with debilitating arthritis.

Now commonly referred to as a ‘water pill’, due to the fact it can treat fluid retention (edema) caused by various conditions such as kidney or liver disease, Spironolactone was initially developed more than 40 years ago as a treatment for high blood pressure and heart failure.

However since then, the capabilities of Spironolactone have been revealed and the medication can now be prescribed as an acne treatment (for women only). For over 20 years, Spironolactone has been a popular anti androgen in the treatment of acne and hirsutism, becoming the most widely prescribed medication for these problems in the USA.

If all that wasn’t enough, new research has shown a breakthrough that could benefit the estimated 6 million Brits who are struggling with osteoarthritis – the most common type of arthritis in the UK – forcing 1 million people in the UK to see their GP about it each year.

The first study, led by Professor Marion McMurdo, head of ageing and health at Dundee University, was conducted earlier this year and assessed the effects of whether taking 25mg of Spironolactone daily for a duration of 5 months would provide any relief for osteoarthritis sufferers.

The results have been published in the American Journal of Medicine, and report that many patients said they had a decrease in pain levels.

Those behind the study believe that Spironolactone reduced pain by suppressing a hormone called aldosterone, previously linked to inflammation in the joints, or could increase levels of cortisol, a hormone lessens the body’s sensitivity to pain.

The next stage for Professor McMurdo and her team will be the monitoring of 86 patients aged 70 or over, all of whom suffer with severe knee pain. Participants will either be given Spironolactone or a ­placebo, daily for 12 weeks. Pain will be analysed and their joint inflammation will be measured before and after the trial.

Professor McMurdo said: “Osteoarthritis affects over half of the older population and there is no cure, so the goal is to reduce pain and stiffness. Older people are particularly prone to drug side effects. Most commonly used painkillers cause side effects – like confusion and constipation – and can cause bleeding from the stomach. Such bleeds are much more serious in an older person. So fresh drug approaches to managing osteoarthritis in older people are urgently required. If effective, Spironolactone would provide a safer, more economical prospect than many modern anti-inflammatory drugs. It only costs £1 a week and we know from its use as a heart treatment that it is relatively safe.”

Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, has put his faith into Spironolactone being a successful and viable treatment option for arthritis in the future, even pledging £135,000 to help cover the research cost.

Professor Silman commented: “Spironolactone has been around for decades so we know it is safe.”