Minoxidil Exerts Skin Rejuvenation Effects in Human Androgenetic Alopecia Xenotransplants In Vivo

A pilot study assessed the effects of 5% topical minoxidil on scalp skin grafts from androgenetic alopecia patients implanted on SCID/beige mice over four months. Minoxidil treatment led to hair regrowth and significant upregulation of anti-aging biomarkers such as PGC1α, SIRT1, MTCO-1, VDAC, and collagen 17A in hair follicles. It also downregulated the senescence marker p16INK4a and mTOR activity, while upregulating antioxidant enzymes regulated by NRF2 and VEGF-A expression. These findings suggest minoxidil as a promising anti-aging agent by stimulating VEGF-A production in hair follicles.