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Review
. 2017 Apr;76(4):736-744.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2016.12.005. Epub 2017 Jan 28.

JAK inhibitors in dermatology: The promise of a new drug class

William Damsky  1 , Brett A King  2
Affiliations
Review

JAK inhibitors in dermatology: The promise of a new drug class

William Damsky et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

New molecularly targeted therapeutics are changing dermatologic therapy. Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) is an intracellular signaling pathway upon which many different proinflammatory signaling pathways converge. Numerous inflammatory dermatoses are driven by soluble inflammatory mediators, which rely on JAK-STAT signaling, and inhibition of this pathway using JAK inhibitors might be a useful therapeutic strategy for these diseases. Growing evidence suggests that JAK inhibitors are efficacious in atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, psoriasis, and vitiligo. Additional evidence suggests that JAK inhibition might be broadly useful in dermatology, with early reports of efficacy in several other conditions. JAK inhibitors can be administered orally or used topically and represent a promising new class of medications. The use of JAK inhibitors in dermatology is reviewed here.

Keywords: JAK inhibitor; JAK-STAT; alopecia areata; atopic dermatitis; baricitinib; psoriasis; ruxolitinib; tofacitinib; vitiligo.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement:

W.D. has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
JAK-STAT signaling pathway. JAK inhibitors antagonize JAK protein function and prevent activation of the pathway.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • JAK inhibitors and alopecia areata.
    Gilhar A, Keren A, Paus R. Gilhar A, et al. Lancet. 2019 Jan 26;393(10169):318-319. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32987-8. Lancet. 2019. PMID: 30696569 No abstract available.

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MeSH terms