We bring updates on alopecia areata (AA) research from around the world, including projects supported by Alopecia UK, and a call to participate in the Alopecia UK funded PhD bursary project which investigates early treatment for alopecia areata.

Results of Alopecia UK funded study on link between coeliac disease and AA

Back in 2019, Alopecia UK awarded funding to Dr Amr Salam to study the link between coeliac disease and alopecia areata in children. The research suffered severe delays due to the COVID pandemic and staff shortages but has now been completed and the results were recently presented at the American Academy of Dermatology conference. They found coeliac disease in 1.8% of the 353 children studied, which is no different from the rate in the general population. This suggests that children with AA are not at higher risk of coeliac disease. They also did not observe any significant issues with nutrient deficiencies. Because of this, the researchers suggest that screening for coeliac disease and automatic supplementation of micronutrients are not typically necessary in children with AA. This may help doctors avoid unnecessary blood tests and reassure families, reducing both anxiety and the burden of healthcare costs. Read the full update on the project page here. You can view all of our funded research projects here.

Alopecia+Me disease impact study

Some of you may remember completing the Alopecia+Me survey which ran from 2022 to 2024. It asked about the life impact of having AA. As expected, the research found that AA can have a severe impact on people’s psychological well-being and social lives. The impact on a person’s life was most strongly linked with how they perceived their own illness and the stigma they experienced. These links were stronger than with the severity of the disease. The researchers suggest that by assessing illness perceptions and stigma, healthcare professionals may be able to identify what types of intervention people are most likely to benefit from. The full results are set to be published in the upcoming issue of the British Journal of Dermatology, and can be accessed online here.

The impact and importance of sociocultural influences on visible differences

A new publication from researchers at the Centre for Appearance Research, including AUK Research Committee member Prof Diana Harcourt, discusses what is known about the sociocultural factors influencing how people experience their visible difference. They describe how people with visible differences are still under- and mis-represented in societies, cultures and media that focus on very limited and unachievable appearance ideals. Identities such as gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality and religion can influence how visible differences (like alopecia) impact stigma. It provides suggestions for how researchers can consider these issues in future work, including the importance of involving a wide and diverse range of people in the research process. The full paper can be read here.

Impact of alopecia areata on the family

New research from Australia shows the impact that alopecia areata can have on caregivers of adolescents with alopecia areata. Through a survey of 53 caregivers, they found that 62.3% had anxiety levels outside of normal ranges, and 24.5% had depression levels outside of normal ranges. In addition, 50.9% of caregivers reported activity impairments, including 49.1% reporting work impairments such as time missed and impaired work productivity due to their adolescent’s AA. This work highlights the importance of recognising that the disease affects others in the family around the individual patient with AA, and a need for wider support. The full paper can be read here.

Other inflammatory conditions are a risk factor for severe and prolonged AA

Researchers from Germany have collected data on over 2,500 individuals with alopecia areata. This shows that 53.7% of people with AA had at least 1 other chronic inflammatory disorder, with the most common allergic conditions being atopic dermatitis (26.7%), bronchial asthma (13.4%) and allergic rhinitis (26.7%). Non-allergic conditions were reported in 17.4% of people with AA, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (6.1%), vitiligo (4.6%), psoriasis (2.7%) and rheumatoid arthritis (1.7%). People with AA and atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma and/or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis were more likely to have early-onset, severe and prolonged AA compared to people with no other inflammatory conditions. People with allergic rhinitis or vitiligo had a higher risk for prolonged AA. The researchers are working to develop a new treatment based on these findings, alongside ways to predict outcomes in people with AA. The full paper can be read here.

New treatment for AA granted fast-track status by US FDA

At the American Academy of Dermatology conference in March, results from the early-phase clinical trial for Bempikibart were announced by Dr Brett King. While the results have not been published yet, they report that patients with severe AA (>50% scalp hair loss) continued to regrow hair 12-24 weeks after the treatment was stopped. They suggest this is different from what is seen in treatment with JAK inhibitors, where typically hair loss reappears when the treatment is stopped. The clinical trial is now being extended to further study the safety and effectiveness of this medicine. Q32 Bio, the company behind this biologic treatment, have been granted fast-track status by the FDA, which helps speed up the development and review process for new medicines for conditions where there is an unmet medical need. Bempikibart blocks IL-7 and TSLP, two molecules that act as signals in the immune system. We will continue to follow this research to keep you updated on further progress.

Now recruiting participants: The Alopecia Areata Rapid Access Clinic (AA-RAC)

Currently, patients with alopecia areata often have to wait a long time to access dermatology services, and many people question if this contributes to AA progressing and becoming more severe. The purpose of this study is to set up an Alopecia Areata Rapid Access Clinic (AA-RAC). It will enable people who have developed symptoms of AA within the last 12 months to receive specialist dermatology care quickly and allow the researchers to study the early changes occurring in this condition. This will allow them to learn more about how it develops. This study is funded by a PhD bursary from Alopecia UK. To find out more about taking part, click here.

AUK PhD bursaries 2025

We are in the process of awarding a further 2 PhD bursaries to exciting research projects, keep an eye out for the announcements this summer!