October 2003
Neurotrophins and their role in pathogenesis
of alopecia areata.
Botchkarev VA.
Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston,
Massachusetts 02112, USA. vladbotc@bu.edu
Neurotrophins comprise a family of structurally and functionally related
proteins that are critical for the development and maintenance of cutaneous
innervation. They also fulfill multiple non-neurotrophic functions in skin,
including regulation of epidermal proliferation and apoptosis, control of hair
follicle development and cycling, and melanogenesis.
Numerous indications suggest that neurotrophins play an
important role in the pathogenesis of a variety of autoimmune diseases. In this
review, we focus on the role of neurotrophins in the pathogenesis of alopecia
areata, an autoimmune disorder that affects actively growing hair follicles.
Recent data suggest that neurotrophins and their receptors are differentially
expressed among the subsets of immune cells in alopecia areata-affected skin.
Experimental data suggest that neurotrophins may regulate both the cyclic
activity of the hair follicle and the functions of immune cells of inflammatory
infiltrates.
Additional research is required to bridge the gap between our
current knowledge of neurotrophin functions in skin affected by alopecia areata
and our knowledge of their potential clinical applications.
Progress in this
area of research will hopefully lead to the development of multiple applications
for neurotrophins and their agonists/antagonists in alopecia areata and other
hair growth disorders.
 
Hair loss products and Hair loss treatments
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