Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Loaded with Minoxidil and Latanoprost for Targeted Topical Therapy of Alopecia

The study aimed to develop a safe formulation for alopecia treatment using nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) that entrap a combination of minoxidil and latanoprost, targeting drug delivery to the hair follicles. The NLC produced were shown to efficiently entrap 86.9% of minoxidil and 99.9% of latanoprost. In vitro, the drug combination positively affected human primary epidermal keratinocytes, supporting cell proliferation, migration, and inducing the mRNA expression of MKI67 proliferation marker and VEGF – a possible effector for minoxidil-mediated hair growth. The drug combination was optimized when delivered using the NLC. The nanoformulation was well tolerated according to the HET-CAM and reconstructed human epidermis assays. The NLC could be deposited preferentially into the hair follicles, causing a considerable increase in the penetration of the two drugs in such structures, compared to the control, and generating a target-effect of approximately 50% for both drugs. The results suggest that hair follicle-targeted delivery of the minoxidil and latanoprost combination is a promising alternative to treat alopecia.