TLDR Retinoic acid and DMSO improve gene delivery to mouse skin for potential hair and skin disease treatment.
The study investigated a method for gene therapy in mouse skin using retinoic acid (RA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to enhance the transdermal delivery of plasmid DNA. It was found that RA significantly improved gene transfection efficiency in the epidermis and hair follicle cells, while a 10% concentration of DMSO was optimal for minimizing side effects. This approach was less toxic and more cost-effective compared to traditional carriers like liposomes. The method showed successful localized transfection without detectable DNA in the blood, suggesting its potential for treating skin and hair disorders through topical gene therapy, although further research was needed for pre-clinical validation.
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