Hair Regenerative Effect of Silk Fibroin Hydrogel with Incorporation of FGF-2-Liposome and Its Potential Mechanism in Mice with Testosterone-Induced Alopecia Areata

In the 2018 study, researchers developed a silk fibroin hydrogel delivery system incorporating fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) within liposomes to treat testosterone-induced alopecia areata in mice. The FGF-2-liposomes had a high encapsulation efficiency and the hydrogel facilitated the penetration of FGF-2 into the dermis. Mice treated with the hydrogel showed rapid hair regrowth and a return of hair follicles to the anagen phase. The treatment also reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines and increased the expression of a stem cell marker in hair follicles. The study concluded that the FGF-2-liposome-incorporated silk fibroin hydrogel could be a potential treatment for alopecia areata. The number of mice used in the study was not specified.