Conditioned Media-Integrated Microneedles for Hair Regeneration Through Perifollicular Angiogenesis

The study developed a dissolvable microneedles (MNs) patch loaded with conditioned media (CM) derived from hypoxia-pretreated mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), a common type of hair loss. The CM contained elevated levels of HIF-1α, a factor that promotes angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels. The CM-integrated MNs patch (CM-MNs) was designed to puncture the skin and deliver these pro-angiogenic factors directly into the skin in a minimally invasive manner. The administration of CM-MNs also induced mechanical stimulation on the skin, promoting neovascularization. The combined effects of the pro-angiogenic factors and the mechanical stimulation successfully boosted perifollicular vascularization, activated hair follicle stem cells, and induced faster hair regeneration in an AGA mouse model compared to minoxidil. The study concluded that boosting angiogenesis around hair follicles is an effective strategy against AGA.