Follicle-Targeted Delivery of Betamethasone and Minoxidil Co-Entrapped in Polymeric and Lipid Nanoparticles for Topical Alopecia Areata Treatment

September 2023 in “ Pharmaceuticals ”

Breno N. Matos, Ana Luiza Lima, Camila O. Cardoso, Marcílio Cunha-Filho, Taís Gratieri, Guilherme M. Gelfuso

betamethasone minoxidil polymeric nanoparticles nanostructured lipid carriers alopecia areata follicular targeting lipophilic drugs Rogaine

From the encyclopedia

Betamethasone →

Minoxidil →

An essential vasodilator with some anti-androgenic effects

Alopecia Areata →

autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

Studysummary This study found that nanoparticles containing minoxidil and betamethasone improved drug delivery to hair follicles, with lipidic nanoparticles significantly enhancing minoxidil and betamethasone penetration compared to control, making them a promising option for alopecia areata treatment with reduced side effects.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The study investigated the use of polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) to deliver minoxidil and betamethasone for topical treatment of alopecia areata. The PNPs loaded 99.1 ± 13.0% minoxidil and 70.2 ± 12.8% betamethasone, while the NLCs entrapped 99.4 ± 0.1 minoxidil and 80.7 ± 0.1% betamethasone. In vitro studies showed that PNPs and NLCs increased minoxidil penetration into the follicular casts by 2.6-fold and tenfold respectively compared to the control. Both nanoparticles targeted approximately 50% of minoxidil delivery to the follicular casts, while NLCs targeted 74% of betamethasone delivery to the hair follicles. The study concluded that PNPs and NLCs are promising drug delivery systems for enhancing follicular targeting of drugs, with NLCs showing superior performance for lipophilic drugs.

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Research cited in this study

18 / 18 results

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research Minoxidil for Patchy Alopecia Areata: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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This study developed lipid nanoparticles for delivering minoxidil and finasteride to the dermis and hair follicles, showing stability and a desired prolonged release, though with low skin penetration levels.

Selective Follicular Targeting by Modification of the Particle Sizes