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Scientists have confirmed that there is hope to completely cure patients suffering from alopecia and skin diseases. Tofacitinib-based drugs can cure vitiligo, new study postulates in regards to the positive effects that the medicine has had on a female patient.
Two university professors from Yale, Dr. Brittany Craiglow and Dr. Brett King, have spent the last months studying the effects of an alopecia treatment on a female patient suffering from vitiligo. For their small research, they have used tofacitinib-based drugs, which are said to treat autoimmune disorders, such as, alopecia.
Their experiment was grounded mainly on the fact that both alopecia and vitiligo are two autoimmune disorders; therefore the treatment that is usually recommended for alopecia could have similar results on vitiligo.
As a consequence, they have asked the 53-year-old woman to try the new medicine. Previously, she had been taking light sessions and applying steroid creams to treat the disease, but the results were barely noticeable. The condition of the patient was rather advanced at the beginning of the experiment; she presented white patches of skin on her hands, body and face.
After the five-month period, researchers were glad to notice that great part of the vitiligo marks on the woman’s skin have been diminished, while some have completely disappeared.
The explanation for this good evolution is that the tofacitinib medicine stimulates production of melanocytes in the skin – the cells that are responsible for the production of pigment in the epidermis. Thus, the skin is able to protect itself from sun rays again and the white marks that are specific for vitiligo disappear.
The same evolution has been noticed in patients suffering from alopecia, as well. The drug is recommended for this affection because it stimulate hair follicle production, according to the description of the medicine. Patients with alopecia have had remarkable results, too.
Craiglow and King have been very pleased with the results that the drug has had on their female patient. They understand, however, that this test alone does not prove that the drug can, indeed treat all forms of vitiligo.
They plan on carrying out a bigger experiment with a larger group of respondents in order to better study the effects of the medicine. They are particularly interested in determining the possible side effects that patients suffering from vitiligo may encounter during the experiment.
The discovery of a new vitiligo drug has been long-sought by scientists all over the world as many more people suffer from this condition. Based on the official data, there are currently 1.5 million people suffering from this condition in the United States.
Image source: utsandiego.com
