A Columbia University Medical Research Center investigation uncovered a genetic link between alopecia areata and several autoimmune diseases, including celiac disease. 

Dr. Angela Christiano, professor of dermatology and genetics and development at Columbia University Medical Center, was lead author of the study. She noted her team's discovery is important because it was originally thought that AA was more related to inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis, where a particular cell attacks the skin. But during their research, Christiano and her investigators learned that AA is actually more genetically related to celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes – and since there are many drugs under development and some on the market already for the same gene targets, new treatments for AA should be relatively close by.

Read more about Dr. Christiano’s findings and the genetic link between celiac disease and alopecia areata on the CNN.com Paging Dr. Gupta Blog. Click here.