Effect of Minoxidil Formulations on Human Scalp Skin Xenotransplants on SCID Mice: A Novel Pre-Clinical In Vivo Assay for Androgenetic Alopecia Research
January 2022
in “
Experimental Dermatology
”
TLDR Minoxidil solution and foam both increase hair growth, but the solution works better than the foam.
The study aimed to determine if FDA-approved minoxidil formulations (solution and foam) could improve hair growth in human androgenetic alopecia (AGA) scalp skin transplanted onto SCID mice. The researchers transplanted 103 biopsies from 10 AGA male patients into 36 mice, which were divided into three treatment groups: vehicle, minoxidil solution, and minoxidil foam. The results showed a significant increase in hair shaft density and length in both minoxidil-treated groups compared to the vehicle group, with the minoxidil solution showing higher hair growth stimulation than the foam. Key hair growth parameters, such as hair follicle diameter, hair growth rate, and anagen/telogen and terminal/vellus ratios, confirmed the stimulatory effect of minoxidil on hair growth. The study concluded that this humanized mouse model allows for long-term in vivo observations and pharmacological manipulations that are highly predictive of the clinical outcome of novel AGA therapeutics.
