Understanding the role of T cells in stress-induced hair loss.

Abstract

Stress causes physiological changes that have long been conjectured to include hair loss. However, the scientific understanding behind stress induced hair loss remains unclear. Alopecia areata (AA) is a broad term for a disease characterized by patchy hair loss. Clinically, stress has been suspected to be an inciting factor for the pathogenesis of AA 1–5. Despite the mounting clinical evidence associating stress with AA, scientific evidence for this claim has lagged. While stress has been shown to cause changes in the immunological landscape, it is not yet fully known whether this phenomenon contributes to stress-induced hair loss. With increasing focus on the potential role of T cells in AA pathophysiology, we sought to understand the shifts in the distribution of T cells in the context of stress-induced hair loss. T cells, specifically cytotoxic T cells, are considered to be the main culprit of AA pathogenesis. Current treatments for AA include JAK inhibitors, and cyclosporine, both of which function by blocking a pathway involving T cells. Therefore, we aim to understand the contribution of T cells, and the corresponding immune environment, in stress induced hair loss. Using an acute stress model developed in the lab, we evaluated T cells’ contribution in mediating acute stress-induced hair loss. Future mechanistic studies should follow including requirements for successful T cell recruitment, expansion, and function. With this study, we intend to advance our opaque understanding of the immune role in AA onset.