Diphencyprone (DPCP) is a potent topical sensitizing agent that has been used since the late 1970s by physicians for the treatment of alopecia areata (AA), viral warts (human papillomavirus) and cutaneous metastases of melanoma. Although to date the compound is not approved as a drug by the FDA or EMA, physicians have continued to use DPCP because of its proven effects in these dermatological conditions. Diphenylcyclopropenone acts as a local irritant, triggering a local sensitization. It triggers an immune response that opposes the action of the autoreactive cells that otherwise cause hair loss. The efficacy of DPCP has generally been ascribed to immunological reactions by the host. Inducing inflammation with a contact sensitizer is counterintuitive to treating AA, an autoimmune disorder. Studies using microarray and miRNA profiling may provide information about how DPCP induces inflammation in human skin at different times. Gene targets and microRNAs identified through these data may be modulated by an RNA interference approach to enhance DPCP efficacy and response rates