Sections
Log in
Top News
U.S. News World News Featured Voices
Odd News
Entertainment
Movies Music TV
Sports
Soccer NFL NBA MLB
Photos
News Entertainment Sports Features
More...
Defense Featured Science Health Video Archive Almanac
About Feedback Privacy Policy
About Feedback Privacy Policy
Search
Trending
Government shutdown
Tiger Woods
New England Patriots
Impeachment
Alamo
Battle of the Bulge
Jersey shooting
Jeff Van Drew
John Bolton
Science News
June 20, 2014 / 5:33 PM

Arthritis drug gives hairless man full head of hair

"The patient has reported feeling no side effects, and we've seen no lab test abnormalities," said Dr. Brittany G. Craiglow.

By
Brooks Hays
There are many types of alopecia. There's currently no confirmed cure for alopecia universalis. (CC/David Lewis)
There are many types of alopecia. There's currently no confirmed cure for alopecia universalis. (CC/David Lewis)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 20 (UPI) -- A 25-year-old man previously unable to grow hair on his body, now has a full head of hair thanks to a medication for rheumatoid arthritis called tofacitinib citrate.

The young patient suffered from both plaque psoriasis, a condition involving scaly red areas of skin, and alopecia universalis, an autoimmune disease whereby baldness extends across the entirety of the body.

When the man went to Yale Dermatology to be treated for the psoriasis, Dr. Brett A. King suggested the arthritis drug might address both conditions. The patient took 10 milligrams a day, and the results were rather miraculous.

"The results are exactly what we hoped for," said Dr. King, who recently detailed the treatment success in a study published online in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. "This is a huge step forward in the treatment of patients with this condition. While it's one case, we anticipated the successful treatment of this man based on our current understanding of the disease and the drug. We believe the same results will be duplicated in other patients, and we plan to try."

Previously, the drug has mainly been used to treat types of psoriasis. But the recent study shows its potential in reversing the effects of alopecia. Doctors believe the drug blocked the patient's immune system from attacking his hair follicles.

"By eight months there was full regrowth of hair," said study coauthor Dr. Brittany G. Craiglow. "The patient has reported feeling no side effects, and we've seen no lab test abnormalities, either."

Read More

Game On Dude heads nine nominated to Gold Cup Natalie Portman wows with white dress, lighter hair Reds call up Diaz, send down Cingrani Convicted war criminal Charles Taylor asks for 'more humane' treatment Unarmed and handcuffed man shot and killed by El Paso police while in custody

Latest Headlines

Geminid meteor shower underway, set to reach climax Friday night
Science News // 2 days ago
Geminid meteor shower underway, set to reach climax Friday night
Dec. 13 (UPI) -- As the year nears its close, many people are already looking ahead to 2020, but stargazers remain focused on 2019 as one of the year's top meteor showers is about to put on a dazzling display in the night sky.

Canadian tundra was once covered in thick forest
Science News // 3 days ago
Canadian tundra was once covered in thick forest
Dec. 13 (UPI) -- New research suggests Canada's northernmost islands were once covered in thick forest.

Map reveals land beneath Antarctic ice sheet in unprecedented detail
Science News // 3 days ago
Map reveals land beneath Antarctic ice sheet in unprecedented detail
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Scientists have successfully mapped the topography of the land beneath Antarctica's ice sheet at high resolution by combining radar observations with ice volume and flow velocity data.

Mountain goats in Glacier National Park running out of A/C
Science News // 3 days ago
Mountain goats in Glacier National Park running out of A/C
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- New research suggests patches of snow -- increasingly rare sources of A/C -- are the only places where mountain goats in Montana's Glacier National Park can successfully slow their respiration during heat spells.

Genetic analysis accurately predicts lifespan of vertebrate species
Science News // 3 days ago
Genetic analysis accurately predicts lifespan of vertebrate species
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Researchers in Australia have developed a new genetic analysis method capable of predicting the lifespan of vertebrate species.

Dark matter may explain mysterious gamma ray source at center of Milky Way
Science News // 3 days ago
Dark matter may explain mysterious gamma ray source at center of Milky Way
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- New analysis by astrophysicists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests dark matter could explain a mysterious source of gamma rays in the center of the Milky Way.

World's oldest figurative cave painting depicts ancient hunting scene
Science News // 4 days ago
World's oldest figurative cave painting depicts ancient hunting scene
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The discovery of an ancient cave painting on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has pushed the origins of figurative cave painting back further than ever before.

Africa's tropics account for a third of rise in methane emissions
Science News // 4 days ago
Africa's tropics account for a third of rise in methane emissions
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Methane emissions are on the rise, and new satellite data suggests Africa's tropics are responsible for at least a third of the recent increase.

Underground fiber-optic cables help scientists record thunderquakes
Science News // 4 days ago
Underground fiber-optic cables help scientists record thunderquakes
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Loud thunderclaps can cause the ground to shake. The quakes are too subtle for humans to feel, but new research showed fiber optic cables can detect the thunderquakes.

Household dust hosts toxic chemicals from LCD screens
Science News // 4 days ago
Household dust hosts toxic chemicals from LCD screens
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- New research suggests liquid crystal monomers contain a variety of toxic chemicals, which tests showed can leach into everyday environs.

Trending Stories

Canadian tundra was once covered in thick forest
Canadian tundra was once covered in thick forest
Map reveals land beneath Antarctic ice sheet in unprecedented detail
Map reveals land beneath Antarctic ice sheet in unprecedented detail
Geminid meteor shower underway, set to reach climax Friday night
Geminid meteor shower underway, set to reach climax Friday night
Mountain goats in Glacier National Park running out of A/C
Mountain goats in Glacier National Park running out of A/C
Megadroughts forced Peruvian farmers into cloud forests 1,200 years ago
Megadroughts forced Peruvian farmers into cloud forests 1,200 years ago

Photo Gallery

 
Daisy Ridley, John Boyega attend 'Star Wars' premiere in Tokyo
Daisy Ridley, John Boyega attend 'Star Wars' premiere in Tokyo

Latest News

LeBron James feeds Dwight Howard dunk with no-look, between legs pass
Chance the Rapper cancels 'Big' tour: 'I'm deeply sorry'
Champions League draw: Manchester City gets Real Madrid, Liverpool vs. Atletico
'Top Gun: Maverick': Tom Cruise takes to the skies in new trailer
Chuy Bravo, Chelsea Handler's sidekick, dead at 63
 
Back to Article
/
Back to top
About UPI Contact Feedback Advertisements Submit News Tips
Copyright © 2019 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy Policy