Microneedle-Mediated Delivery of Immunomodulators Restores Immune Privilege in Hair Follicles and Reverses Immune-Mediated Alopecia

April 2024 in “ Advanced Materials ”

Nour K. Younis, Núria Puigmal, Abdullah El-Kurdi, Andrew Badaoui, Dongliang Zhang, Claudia Morales‐Garay, Anis J. Saad, Diane Cruz, Nadim Al Rahy, Andrea Daccache, Triana Huerta, Christa Deban, Ahmad Halawi, John Y. Choi, Pere Dosta, Christine G. Lian, Natalie Artzi, Jamil Azzi

microneedle immunomodulators immune privilege hair follicles alopecia areata hydrogel microneedle patch CCL22 IL-2 regulatory T cells T regs immune balance hair regrowth systemic treatments inflammation humanized skin transplant mouse model microneedle patch

TLDR A microneedle patch can help regrow hair by restoring immune balance in hair follicles.

The study investigates a novel approach to treating alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition causing localized hair loss, by using a hydrogel microneedle (MN) patch to deliver CCL22 and IL-2, which attract and support regulatory T cells (Tregs) at the site of hair follicles. This method aims to restore immune balance locally without systemic immunosuppression. In a murine model, the treatment led to sustained hair regrowth and reduced inflammation. Additionally, in a humanized skin transplant mouse model, Treg expansion was confirmed in human skin without peripheral immunosuppression. The MN patch demonstrated high-loading capacity and stability, indicating potential for clinical application.

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Research cited in this study

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Microneedle-Mediated Delivery of Immunomodulators Restores Immune Privilege in Hair Follicles and Reverses Immune-Mediated Alopecia

Research cited in this study

research Regulatory T Cells in Skin Mediate Immune Privilege of the Hair Follicle Stem Cell Niche

research Hair Follicle Immune Privilege and Its Collapse in Alopecia Areata

research Regulatory T Cells: The Many Faces of Foxp3

research Combination of Photodynamic Therapy with 5-Aminolaevulinic Acid and Microneedling in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata Resistant to Conventional Therapies: Our Experience with 41 Patients

research Regulatory T Cells in Inflammatory Skin Disease: From Mice to Humans

research Regulatory T Cells in Autoimmune Skin Diseases

research Randomized Trial of Electrodynamic Microneedle Combined with 5% Minoxidil Topical Solution for the Treatment of Chinese Male Androgenetic Alopecia

research Repeated Microneedle Stimulation Induces Enhanced Hair Growth in a Murine Model

research Topical Products for Human Hair Regeneration: A Comparative Study on an Animal Model

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