A medication that is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis has proved to restore skin color in patients suffering from vitiligo, which is the skin condition known to have affected the late pop star Michael Jackson.
Patients with vitiligo experience a loss in skin pigment that can lead to psychological woes and struggles with self-esteem, Yale University reported. Current treatments included steroids creams and light therapy, but these approaches have shown limited success. This existing class od FDA-approved medications, dubbed Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, could potentially provide an effective treatment for the skin condition.
"It's a first, and it could revolutionize treatment of an awful disease," said Brett King, assistant professor of dermatology and principal investigator of the research who worked on the study with co-author Brittany Craiglow. "This may be a huge step forward in the treatment of patients with this condition."
A team of researchers administered tofacitinib to a 53-year-old patient who had white spots on her face, hands, and body, and had seen an worsening of the condition in the year prior to treatment. Within two months of the therapy, repigmentation occurred on areas of her face, and the spots on her hands had nearly disappeared. After five months, the white spots on her face had also almost completely cleared up, and there were only a few affected areas left on her body.
"While it's one case, we anticipated the successful treatment of this patient based on our current understanding of the disease and how the drug works," King said.
The researchers noted further research is necessary to confirm the drug's safety and efficacy for the treatment of the condition. The team also plans to conduct a clinical trial using tofacitinib, or a similar medicine, ruxolitinib, for vitiligo therapy.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal JAMA Dermatology.
