Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Scientists Successfully Grow Full Head of Hair On Bald Man

Posted by Soulskill on from the not-for-patrick-stewart dept.

realized writes: "A man with almost no hair on his body has grown a full head of it after a novel treatment by doctors at Yale University. The patient had previously been diagnosed with both alopecia universalis, a disease that results in loss of all body hair, and plaque psoriasis, a condition characterized by scaly red areas of skin. The only hair on his body was within the psoriasis plaques on his head. He was referred to Yale Dermatology for treatment of the psoriasis. The alopecia universalis had never been treated.

After two months on tofacitinib [an FDA-approved arthritis drug] at 10 mg daily, the patient's psoriasis showed some improvement, and the man had grown scalp and facial hair — the first hair he'd grown there in seven years. After three more months of therapy at 15 mg daily, the patient had completely regrown scalp hair and also had clearly visible eyebrows, eyelashes, and facial hair, as well as armpit and other hair, the doctors said."

6 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. title should be... by TheSHAD0W · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Scientists Accidentally Grow Full Head of Hair On Bald Man"

    The result was unintended, though interesting.

    1. Re:title should be... by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 4, Informative

      Or "Yet again scientist stare another bucket of evidence that inflammation underlays many human ailments from cancer to heart disease to hair loss and treating the underlying inflammation for one thing is effective in more ways than they expected"

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    2. Re:title should be... by cfalcon · · Score: 4, Informative

      Mod this up. While this is a great discovery, the autoimmune form of this is super rare compared to any of the male pattern baldness things.

      It won't help most men at all. But, still, good news.

  2. Not the same as male pattern baldness by i+kan+reed · · Score: 4, Informative

    I mean, that's obvious, but just in case anyone is too hopeful.

  3. Actual article link (with more photos) by AthanasiusKircher · · Score: 3, Informative

    Here.

    (What the article doesn't explain is why a science article needs a title involving an unnecessary metaphor and a colon: "Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Oral Tofacitinib Reverses Alopecia Universalis in a Patient with Plaque Psoriasis.")

  4. Re:AIDS by niado · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's a universal anti-lymphocite agent which basically induces a state similar to AIDS, by killing off lymphocytes and leaving the door open for serious infections or diseases, so not exactly safe either.

    Tofacitinib is a JAK inhibitor, which is not exactly an anti-lymphocite agent. These drugs function by interfering with the JAK-STAT_signaling_pathway, not by killing off lymphocytes.

    These drugs definitely are are immunosuppressive. They are generally considered safe for most patients, though they certainly increase the risk of opportunistic infections (example: tuberculosis).