A Novel Human Disease Model of Alopecia Areata to Evaluate Benefit of the DHODH Inhibitor Farudodstat

This study developed a novel ex vivo model of alopecia areata (AA) to evaluate the effects of the DHODH inhibitor farudodstat. The model used healthy human scalp hair follicles treated with anti-CD3/CD28 to activate T-cells, mimicking AA features such as T-cell proliferation and immune privilege (IP) collapse. Farudodstat treatment effectively protected hair follicles from increased T-cell proliferation and upregulation of MHC I and II proteins, which are markers of IP collapse. Importantly, farudodstat did not induce catagen, cytotoxicity, or affect keratinocyte proliferation in healthy hair follicles. These findings suggest that farudodstat has therapeutic potential for treating AA without harmful side effects.