The Use of Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Vitiligo: A Review of the Literature

Vitiligo is a common acquired depigmenting disorder characterized by the development of white macules and patches due to the loss of melanocytes. Patients with vitiligo can be stigmatized by society, making the disease a source of psychological stress that can considerably affect quality of life. The goal of vitiligo treatment is to obtain skin repigmentation in the majority of cases, and less commonly to depigment the remaining normal skin. There is no consistent, long-term, durable therapy for vitiligo for all patients, highlighting the unmet need for new safe and effective therapies to control this disease. Recently, JAK inhibitors have been explored as a promising novel treatment option in vitiligo. The JAK and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway is an attractive therapeutic target because IFN-γ–dependent cytokines produced through this pathway have been implicated in the pathogenesis of disease. This literature review describes vitiligo pathophysiology, explains the usefulness of the JAK inhibitors for treatment, and summarizes published case reports, case series, and open-label studies. Research outlined here shows JAK inhibitors in patients with vitiligo have a favorable safety profile and effectively produce repigmentation of lesions, especially with concomitant ultraviolet exposure. Additional studies are required to confirm efficacy, establish safety, and investigate durability of repigmentation.