Alopecia areata and the gut-the link opens up for novel therapeutic interventions

This review aims to raise the potential of the modern society's impact on gut integrity often leading to increased intestinal permeability, as a cause or driver of Alopecia Areata (AA) in genetically susceptible people. With the increasing rate of T cell-driven autoimmunity, we hypothesize that there is a common root cause of these diseases that originates from chronic inflammation, and that the gut is the most commonly exposed area with our modern lifestyle. Areas covered: We will discuss the complexity in the induction of AA and its potential link to increased intestinal permeability. Our main focus will be on the gut microbiome and mechanisms involved in the interplay with the immune system that may lead to local and/or peripheral inflammation and finally, tissue destruction. Expert opinion: We have seen a link between AA and a dysfunctional gastrointestinal system which raised the hypothesis that an underlying intestinal inflammation drives the priming and dysregulation of immune cells that lead to hair follicle destruction. While it is still important to resolve local inflammation and restore the IP around the hair follicles, we believe that the root cause needs to be eradicated by long-term interventions to extinguish the fire driving the disease.