Ashwagandha-Derived Exosome-Like Nanoparticles Promote Human Hair Growth Ex Vivo

The study investigated the potential of Ashwagandha seed derived exosome-like nanoparticles (Ash-ELN) in promoting hair growth. The Ash-ELN were applied to microdissected human hair follicles (HFs) from both male and female donors ex vivo. The results showed a significant increase in the number of anagen (active growth phase) HFs and hair shaft production. RNAseq analysis revealed an up-regulation of anagen promoting mRNAs (WNT10B, RSPO1, VEGFD) and down-regulation of catagen (transition phase) inducers (BMP4, DKK1, TGFB1) in at least 2 out of 3 donors. This suggests that Ash-ELN promotes hair growth by modulating pathways involved in anagen/catagen transition, making plant-derived exosomes a promising alternative for hair loss therapies.