Co-Delivery of Minoxidil and Tocopherol Acetate Ethosomes to Reshape the Hair Follicle Microenvironment and Promote Hair Regeneration in Androgenetic Alopecia

October 2023 in “ International Journal of Pharmaceutics ”

Aqin Yan, Rui Ruan, Xiaolei Zhu, Qiang Wang, Yeneng Guan, Qihao Yu, Hongmei Sun, Mingxing Liu, Hongda Zhu

minoxidil tocopherol acetate ethosomes androgenetic alopecia sulfotransferase SULT1A1 oxidative stress hair follicles stratum corneum reactive oxygen species ROS Rogaine Vitamin E acetate nanocarriers AGA

Studysummary This study found that ethosome-loaded minoxidil and tocopherol acetate improved hair regeneration and regulated the microenvironment around hair follicles better than commercial minoxidil in androgenic alopecia model mice, showing promise as a treatment strategy.

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The study "Co-delivery of Minoxidil and Tocopherol acetate Ethosomes to Reshape the Hair FolliculaMicroenvironment and Promote Hair Regeneration in Androgenetic Alopecia" explores a new approach to treating Androgenic Alopecia (AGA), a hair loss disorder. The researchers developed a topical co-delivery strategy using minoxidil (MXD) and tocopherol acetate (TAT) loaded into ethosomes, a type of nanocarrier. This approach aimed to improve the response rate of minoxidil, a common treatment for AGA, by enhancing the activity of sulfotransferase (SULT1A1) and reducing oxidative stress in hair follicles. The ethosomes increased the fluidity of stratum corneum molecules, boosting skin penetration and the concentration of active substances in the hair follicles. The study concluded that this co-delivery strategy not only increased the activity of SULT1A1 but also eliminated reactive oxygen species (ROS) to reduce oxidative stress, remodeled the microenvironment around the hair follicle, and produced a synergistic effect with minoxidil.

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