Emma Guttman, MD, PhD, with a young patient before and after treatment
Pediatric alopecia areata, an autoimmune skin disease that causes hair loss, affects about 1 in 1,000 children and teens. Alopecia areata often first appears in childhood, with 40 percent of people with alopecia developing symptoms before the age of 40.
While alopecia areata is not a life-threatening condition, it can be devastating to live with this disease, according to Emma Guttman, MD, PhD, the Waldman Professor and System Chair of Dermatology and Immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
“This condition has a tremendous negative psychological impact on many people who suffer from it, and those difficulties can be unique in the pediatric population compared with adults,” says Dr. Guttman. For example, about half of teens report that they’re embarrassed by their hair loss and 40 percent say that they’ve been bullied, according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.
In this Q&A, Benjamin Ungar, MD, Director of the Alopecia Center of Excellence, explains how pediatric patients and their families can find some relief and discussed the latest clinical trial at the Center.
“We have motivated patients who come to Mount Sinai seeking help, as well as a fantastic team of researchers working together to identify new treatment targets and design clinical trials to establish new treatments,” he says.
Out of all the clinical trials your department is doing, is there one you are most passionate about and why?
We’re excited about many trials, but one that comes to mind is the clinical trial with dupilumab in children in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This is a population with a serious unmet need for safe and effective treatments.
What do you hope to accomplish with this clinical trial?
The NIH grant for the clinical trial for dupilumab in children is so exciting because it offers promise and hope for a population in need. We aim to evaluate dupilumab, which has been shown to be extremely safe in atopic dermatitis and other conditions, as an effective treatment for children with alopecia areata. Additionally, this trial will serve to provide insights into what causes the disease that will help progress future research.
Does alopecia areata differ at all in its presentation, severity, or prognosis in children than in adults?
Overall, alopecia areata in childhood generally presents similarly in children and adults, although an earlier onset in life can be associated with a worse prognosis in terms of severity and response to treatment. It’s also important to note that this condition has a tremendous negative psychological impact on many people who live with it, and those difficulties can be unique in the pediatric population compared with adults.
Why is it so important to develop treatments for children with moderate to severe alopecia?
We understand that it’s important to treat this disease within a few years of its onset, as the longer it goes untreated, the less likely an excellent response to treatment will occur.
Learn more about the new NIH clinical trial :
To see if your child qualifies for the new clinical trial, email our Clinical Research Program Director, Giselle Singer at giselle.singer@mssm.edu .
Learn more about the Alopecia Center of Excellence:
https://www.mountsinai.org/care/dermatology/services/alopecia-areata
Learn more from the National Alopecia Areata Foundation: https://www.naaf.org/alopecia-areata-in-children/