The crosstalk between <scp>PTEN</scp> ‐induced kinase 1‐mediated mitophagy and the inflammasome in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata

June 2023 in “ Experimental Dermatology ”

Jung‐Min Shin, Kyung Min Kim, Mi Soo Choi, Sanghyun Park, Dongkyun Hong, K. C. Jung, Young‐Joon Seo, Chang Deok Kim, Hanseul Yang, Young Lee

TLDR Targeting mitophagy may help treat alopecia areata by reducing inflammasome activation.

This study investigates the role of mitophagy and inflammasomes in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease causing hair loss. The researchers found mitochondrial DNA damage and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in AA-affected scalp tissues and treated outer root sheath (ORS) cells. They demonstrated that inducing mitophagy alleviates inflammasome activation in these cells, while PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) knockdown increases it. The findings suggest that PINK1-mediated mitophagy is crucial in regulating inflammasome activation, highlighting the potential of targeting mitophagy factors to treat AA.

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