In Vitro Evaluation of Topical Follicular Delivery of Minoxidil and Latanoprost Co-Entrapped in Lipid Nanocarriers

The study evaluates the effectiveness of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) in delivering minoxidil and latanoprost to hair follicles for treating androgenic alopecia. Using porcine skin models, the research found that NLCs significantly enhance the delivery of latanoprost to pilosebaceous units (PSUs), with a 3-fold increase compared to controls, while minoxidil delivery was 1.4 times higher. The aqueous NLC formulation was particularly effective for latanoprost, achieving 5.6- to 6.3-fold greater accumulation than serum formulations. Additionally, massaging improved drug delivery to PSUs by approximately 1.5-fold. These findings suggest that NLCs are a promising method for targeted topical alopecia treatment.