COMPOSITIONS, KITS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING EFFICACY OF A THERAPEUTIC AGENT AND TREATING HAIR AND SKIN DISEASES

摘要

The methods and kits described herein can be used as diagnostic tools to assess if treatments have continuing therapeutic benefits in treating inflammatory skin diseases/disorders such as androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and a host of other skin problems, and for predicting male pattern baldness in a subject (e.g., human). Additionally, compositions and methods described herein can be used as treatments for inflammatory diseases of skin and hair (e.g., AGA) that are regulated by inflammatory cytokines and inilarnmasomes. The experiments described herein show that the NLRPl infiammasome regulates inflammation in patients with skin and hair diseases. The NLRPl infiammasome is a multiproteiii complex containing NLRPl, the adaptor protein apoptosis associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), caspase-1 and XlAP. Hair and skin samples from patients with AGA, alopecia areata and scarring alopecia and from adult male patients treated with finasteride were analyzed, The results show that NLRPl infiammasome proteins are elevated in these diseases and that treatment with finasteride decreases infiammasome protein expression. Finasteride-resistant patients showed increased NLRPl infiammasome protein expression, indicating that these proteins may be used as a diagnostic screen for the efficacy of treatment for male pattern baldness (e.g., male pattern baldness caused by AGA).