Hair Follicle Rejuvenation Induced by Topical Minoxidil in a Humanized Mouse Model of Androgenetic Alopecia

This study investigated the effects of minoxidil on hair follicle aging in male pattern androgenetic alopecia (mpAGA) using human scalp transplants from 9 patients on SCID/beige mice. The results showed that 5% topical minoxidil treatment for four months significantly upregulated anti-aging markers such as PGC1α, SIRT1, MTCO-1, and VDAC in the hair follicles. It also increased collagen 17A and lamin B1, reduced the expression of the senescence marker p16INK4a, and decreased mTOR activity. Additionally, minoxidil enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and VEGF-A protein expression, suggesting its potential as an anti-aging agent that mitigates oxidative damage and promotes hair follicle rejuvenation in mpAGA.