The Investigation of Selective Sphingosine-1 Phosphate Receptor 1 and 4 Modulator to Treat Alopecia Areata Mouse Model

    November 2025 in “ The Journal of Immunology ”
    Su‐Young Kim, Sung‐Dong Cho, Yunseo Choi, Jeong Heo, A Yeon Park, Yujin Kim, Yanghae Park, Bong Yong Lee, Beom Joon Kim, Su‐Hyung Park, Joon Seok
    TLDR The S1PR 1&4 modulator may effectively treat alopecia areata by reducing hair loss and immune cell activity.
    The study investigates the use of a selective sphingosine-1 phosphate receptor (S1PR) 1&4 modulator as a treatment for alopecia areata (AA) in a mouse model. AA is an autoimmune disease characterized by hair loss, involving NKG2D+ CD8+ T cells. The S1PR modulator, known for its role in immune and inflammatory reactions, was administered orally to AA mice for 12 weeks. Results showed a significant decrease in AA lesion size and an increase in the disease-free ratio compared to the control group. Additionally, there was a reduction in CD8+ T cell infiltration in the skin lesions and decreased NKG2D levels in effector CD8+ T cells. Bulk RNA-sequencing confirmed a reduction in receptor internalization and cytotoxicity at the transcriptome level. These findings suggest that the S1PR 1&4 modulator could be a promising treatment for AA.
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