Topical dithranol is an alternative therapy to topical diphencyprone for extensive AA, with the advantage that it can be applied at home. It is also safe in children and has low risk for use during pregnancy. Its precise mechanism of action is unknown, but it is plausible that the local cytokine profile induced by its irritant effect "compete" with the inflammatory milieu incited during the inflammatory cell attack on hair follicles. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Type I interferons (IFNs) are an immunomodulatory class of cytokines that serve to protect against viral and bacterial infection. In addition, mounting evidence suggests IFNs, particularly type I but also IFNγ, are important to the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory skin diseases, such as cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). Understanding the role of IFNs is relevant to anti-viral responses in the skin, skin biology, and therapeutics for these IFN-related conditions. Type I IFNs (α and β) are produced by recruited inflammatory cells and by the epidermis itself (IFNκ) and have important roles in autoimmune and inflammatory skin disease. Here, we review the current literature utilizing a PubMed database search using terms [interferon/IFN/type I IFN AND lupus/ cutaneous lupus/CLE/dermatomyositis/Sjogrens/psoriasis/lichen planus/morphea/alopecia areata/vitiligo] with a focus on the role of IFNs in basic keratinocyte biology and their implications in the cutaneous autoimmune and inflammatory diseases: cutaneous lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, Sjogren's syndrome, psoriasis, lichen planus, alopecia areata and vitiligo. We provide information about genes and proteins induced by IFNs and how downstream mechanisms relate to clinical disease.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common autoimmune disease driven by Th1 cytokines characterized by non-scarring hair loss.1,2 Mouse models have demonstrated that IFN-γ-producing NKG2D+ CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are essential for disease pathogenesis, along with JAK-STAT dependent cytokines IFN-γ and IL-15, which induce autoreactive T cell activation.1,3 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background Alopecia areata (AA) is a non-scarring auto-immune hair disorder. Recent researches explained the role of growth factors (GFs) in hair follicle cycling. The main reservoir of GFs are alpha-granules of platelets and novel procedures have been implemented aimed at collecting platelet-rich plasma (PRP). PRP has been safely implemented in many medical application and has also been successfully used as alternative cell-based therapies for the treatment of hair growth disorder, among which also AA. Objectives By mean of a randomized double-blinded, placebo and active-controlled, parallel group study we have studied the efficacy of a cosmetic product (named TR-M-PRP plus) comprising biomimetic peptides specific for hair growth mimicking PRP composition for the treatment of AA. Subjects were treated for three months end evaluated, at the end of the study and after one month of follow-up, as regards hair growth using SALT score. Results PRP-like topic produced a statistically significant (p < 0.001) clinical improvement in SALT score after 3 month of therapy, compared to baseline. Hair growth resulted further improved after 1 month of follow-up. Conclusions This clinical investigation suggest that the biotechnological designed PRP-like cosmetic could represent a valid and safer alternative to autologous PRP for the treatment of AA.