First-of-its-kind clinical trial with specific JAK inhibition will investigate the best treatment for inflammatory skin conditions in these patients Newswise — New York, NY (July 11, 2024) – The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is embarking on biomedical research aiming to set new standard-of-care protocols for treating alopecia areata and atopic dermatitis in people with Down syndrome, or trisomy 21. Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD , the Waldman Professor and Chair of Dermatology at Icahn Mount Sinai, has been awarded more than $4 million for a five-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) R61/R33 grant to evaluate the long-term safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of medications known as JAK inhibitors in patients with Down syndrome. The medications have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata in adults and adolescents generally but have not been studied specifically in people with Down syndrome.
Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability in the United States, affecting 1 in 700 newborns. In addition to cognitive symptoms, people with Down syndrome frequently experience an increase in inflammatory skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata. These individuals also represent a vulnerable population that is seldom included in clinical trials, leaving a void in care protocols aimed specifically at their needs.
“The Down syndrome population has unique medical c.
