January 2026 in “Biomaterials” This study found that acute stress can cause rapid hair loss by triggering necrosis in hair follicle cells and initiating autoimmunity, revealing a mechanism where stress-induced nerve activity leads to tissue damage and immune system activation.
August 2025 in “BMJ Open” In this randomized controlled trial, researchers are assessing the efficacy and safety of acupoint catgut embedding combined with topical 5% minoxidil in treating androgenetic alopecia among 70 men, with primary outcomes focusing on changes in hair count after 24 weeks of treatment.
This study found that recombinant human type XVII collagen (rhCOL17A1) promotes hair growth by activating the Wnt/β-catenin and SHH/GLI signaling pathways and increasing type XVII collagen expression, with significant effects observed in both cell and mouse models.
May 2025 in “Acta Biomaterialia” This study developed microneedles combining insulin-like growth factor-1 and type XVII collagen, showing more effective hair regeneration and reduced inflammation compared to minoxidil in a mouse model of androgenetic alopecia.
May 2025 in “Cellular Signalling” Oxidative stress and mitophagy play key roles in hair loss, suggesting potential treatment targets.
April 2025 in “ACS Applied Nano Materials” In AGA mouse models, this study found that the combination of nickel–copper nanozymes and minoxidil in dissolvable microneedles significantly enhanced hair regeneration and improved the hair follicle microenvironment by reducing reactive oxygen species and increasing vascular density, compared to minoxidil alone.
March 2025 in “Stem Cell Research & Therapy” This study found that microneedles containing magnetic intracellular vesicles and tremella polysaccharide improved the hair microenvironment and accelerated hair regeneration in mice with androgenic alopecia.
March 2025 in “ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces” This study found that using an ultrasound hollow microneedle array enhanced transdermal delivery of finasteride, accelerating hair regrowth in mice with androgenetic alopecia compared to other delivery methods.
March 2025 in “Journal of Controlled Release” This study found that a biocomposite microneedle system, which includes selenium nanozyme and hypoxic extracellular vesicles, enhanced hair density and follicle diameter in androgenetic alopecia mice by fighting inflammation, promoting blood vessel growth, reducing reactive oxygen species, and counteracting androgen effects.
March 2025 in “Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology” 
February 2025 in “Journal of Nanobiotechnology” This study developed a microneedle system using black phosphorus nanosheets and baicalin for treating androgenetic alopecia, finding it effectively enhanced drug penetration and follicular targeting while showing synergistic efficacy and safety in preclinical tests, including in vivo model efficacy against testosterone-induced hair loss.
48 citations
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February 2025 in “Nano-Micro Letters” This review summarizes the application of microneedles in treating various skin diseases and highlights challenges like low drug loading, noting no new clinical results are reported.
February 2025 in “Stem Cell Research & Therapy” This review highlights the critical role of mitochondrial dysfunction in hair loss, particularly androgenetic alopecia, and explores potential therapies targeting mitochondrial pathways to improve hair health, underscoring the need for further research in this area.
January 2025 in “Journal of Controlled Release” This study developed a gas-propelled microneedle patch with puerarin/quercetin nanoparticles, which demonstrated improved hair-regenerating effects in an androgenetic alopecia mouse model by increasing drug delivery, alleviating oxidative stress, promoting angiogenesis, and rejuvenating senescent cells.
January 2025 in “Dermatologic Therapy” In this review, researchers explored key mechanisms underlying androgenetic alopecia, revealing how hormonal, oxidative, inflammatory, and lipid dysregulation suppress hair growth pathways and suggesting new therapeutic targets such as DP2 antagonists and microbiome modulators.
January 2025 in “Journal of Materials Chemistry B” This abstract discusses androgenetic alopecia treatments like oral finasteride and topical minoxidil, reporting limited treatment efficacy and no new findings, and emphasizes the psychological impact on patients.
October 2024 in “Molecular Nutrition & Food Research” This review found that deficiencies or imbalances in micronutrients like vitamin B, vitamin D, iron, and zinc may play a role in androgenetic alopecia and could be modifiable risk factors for prevention and treatment, though evidence varies.
October 2024 in “Small Methods” This study found that dissolving microneedles loaded with platinum nanozymes induced faster hair growth in an androgenetic alopecia model than daily minoxidil applications, with no significant safety concerns.
October 2024 in “World Journal of Psychiatry” In this study, patients with androgenetic alopecia experiencing stress had higher cortisol levels and altered neurotrophic factors compared to non-stressed patients, which correlated with more severe hair loss progression even after minoxidil treatment.
September 2024 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” This study found that both red and green LED therapies combined with a microneedling patch significantly improved hair density and diameter in androgenetic alopecia patients over 24 weeks, with no serious side effects and similar efficacy between the two light wavelengths.
91 citations
,
August 2024 in “Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B” This review explores how microneedles can improve the delivery of dermatological treatments by bypassing the skin's outer barrier, discussing their potential use in managing skin diseases, cosmetic applications, and challenges related to clinical adoption.
August 2024 in “Aesthetic Plastic Surgery” In this study, injecting foreskin-derived mesenchymal stromal cell exosomes into the scalps of men with androgenetic alopecia significantly increased hair density and patient satisfaction without side effects over a 12-week period.
August 2024 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” The study investigated immune cell patterns around the hair follicle infundibulum in androgenetic alopecia, revealing significant differences in immune signatures between patients with AGA and control donors, specifically noting an enrichment of CD4 cells in the patient group.
August 2024 in “Stem Cell Research & Therapy” This review discusses current and emerging therapies for androgenetic alopecia, emphasizing regenerative treatments and nanotechnology advancements, but it reports no new clinical results.
July 2024 in “Chemical Engineering Journal” A new microneedle system with minoxidil nanoparticles effectively promotes hair regrowth with fewer side effects.
April 2024 in “Nano research” This study on androgenetic alopecia in mice introduced a novel therapy combining microneedle patches and cold atmospheric plasma to enhance minoxidil delivery, leading to improved hair regeneration by boosting vascular growth and reshaping the hair follicle microenvironment.
December 2023 in “European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry” This review highlights potential therapeutic mechanisms of natural products for androgenetic alopecia, suggesting they may modulate signaling pathways and have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
74 citations
,
October 2023 in “Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology” 
2 citations
,
August 2023 in “Pharmaceutics” This paper reviews the development of transdermal drug delivery systems for skin diseases, from first to fourth generation, and highlights ongoing challenges and the importance of clinical trials, but provides no new clinical results.
July 2023 in “Nature Genetics” Researchers identified key cell types and genes involved in hair and skin diseases.
July 2023 in “JAAD International” This study describes androgenetic alopecia as a common non-scarring hair loss condition primarily influenced by genetic factors and androgen sensitivity, notably impacting psychosocial well-being, especially in females and younger males seeking treatment.
7 citations
,
May 2023 in “Macromolecular Bioscience” This review discusses recent advancements in using macromolecules for hair loss treatment, highlighting microneedle and nanoparticle delivery systems, tissue-engineered scaffolds for hair follicle regeneration, and artificial skin platforms as drug screening methods.
March 2023 in “ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces” This study reports that a water-soluble microneedle patch with minoxidil-loaded microspheres showed similar or better hair regeneration effects in mice with less frequent application compared to daily topical minoxidil.
February 2023 in “Journal of Advanced Research” This study found that platelet-rich plasma microneedles promoted hair regrowth in mice by facilitating angiogenesis and cell proliferation, showing promise for a minimally invasive hair regeneration treatment.
January 2023 in “Theranostics” This study reported that a curcumin-zinc microneedle patch improved hair regrowth and wound healing in animal models, suggesting potential as a versatile treatment for hair loss.
December 2022 in “Small methods” This study developed dissolving microneedles incorporating a new AR degrader for treating androgenetic alopecia, showing that a single application leads to superior hair regeneration compared to daily minoxidil, without systemic toxicity or androgen-related issues.
3 citations
,
October 2022 in “Nano Letters” This study found that a microneedle patch using manganese thiophosphite showed greater hair regrowth potential compared to minoxidil, even with less frequent application, for treating androgenetic alopecia.
12 citations
,
August 2022 in “Journal of Controlled Release” In this study, a microneedle patch containing conditioned media from hypoxia-pretreated stem cells enhanced hair regeneration in an androgenetic alopecia mouse model by boosting perifollicular vascularization and hair follicle stem cell activation compared to minoxidil.
26 citations
,
August 2022 in “Stem Cells Translational Medicine” This review highlights the limitations of mouse models in human hair loss research and emphasizes the potential of using human cell bioengineered models and artificial intelligence for future advancements, but reports no new clinical results.
1 citations
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July 2022 in “British Journal of Dermatology” In this study, researchers identified key transcriptome changes in male androgenetic alopecia hair follicles, suggesting that HIF-1 pathway genes and Wnt pathway inhibitors could be potential therapeutic targets.
25 citations
,
June 2022 in “Developmental cell” In this study, Hedgehog signaling in dermal papilla fibroblasts was found to accelerate hair growth and induce follicle multiplication in mice via the SCUBE3/TGF-β pathway, with some effects observed in human scalp hair follicles.
1 citations
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June 2022 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” This study in a Korean population identified two novel genetic variants that may increase the risk of androgenetic alopecia, contributing to understanding its genetic basis in non-European populations.
61 citations
,
June 2022 in “Journal of Controlled Release” This review discusses the advantages, applications, and current trends of dissolving microneedles for drug delivery across various therapeutic areas and reports no new clinical results.
14 citations
,
March 2022 in “Journal of Biomedical Science” In this study, Cyanidin 3-O-arabinoside was found to protect against DHT-induced dermal papilla cell senescence and mitochondrial dysfunction in androgenetic alopecia, restoring hair growth in mouse models.
March 2022 in “International Journal of Trichology” This review found a significant association between smoking and androgenetic alopecia, but notes a lack of studies on whether quitting smoking can improve hair loss.
3 citations
,
November 2021 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This article discusses hormonal mechanisms underlying androgenetic alopecia but does not report any new findings; it reviews the roles of dihydrotestosterone and available FDA-approved treatments.
5 citations
,
October 2021 in “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy” In this study, structural and functional brain abnormalities specific to visuospatial and somatosensory processing networks were observed in patients with anorexia nervosa, highlighting a critical role for the precuneus.
38 citations
,
July 2021 in “ACS Nano” This study found that a ceria nanozyme-integrated microneedles patch accelerated hair regeneration in an androgenetic alopecia mouse model more effectively than minoxidil, with reduced application frequency and minimal skin damage.
77 citations
,
March 2021 in “Nature” In this study, increased corticosterone from chronic stress prolonged hair follicle stem cell quiescence in mice, inhibiting regeneration, but restoring Gas6 expression overcame this inhibition.
21 citations
,
March 2021 This study reviewed the literature on low-dose oral minoxidil as a primary treatment for various hair loss disorders, concluding that it is a successful and well-tolerated alternative to topical minoxidil for patients with poor adherence to other therapies.
February 2021 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study observed that fibrosis occurs in the bulge region of hair follicles affected by androgenetic alopecia and is correlated with the hair miniaturization process.
8 citations
,
November 2020 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” This preclinical study observed that a nanoencapsulated ingredient complex, AcPi, may prevent hair follicle aging and hair loss by reducing oxidative stress, enhancing mitochondrial activity and WNT/β-catenin signaling, and controlling androgenic metabolism when tested on human scalp cultures.
5 citations
,
November 2020 in “JAMA Dermatology” Finasteride may cause side effects; more research needed.
102 citations
,
July 2020 in “International journal of molecular sciences” This review discusses the effects of hormonal changes on hair follicles, concluding that hormones like androgens and estradiol significantly influence hair growth and cycle, while the roles of other hormones are still being researched.
4 citations
,
July 2020 in “Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications” This study suggests that EDA-A2 induces apoptosis in hair follicles by increasing DKK-1 expression, implicating EDA2R signaling as a potential therapeutic target for androgenetic alopecia.
26 citations
,
June 2020 in “Polymers” This study reported that a magneto-responsive transdermal microneedle system delivered Minoxidil effectively and significantly increased hair density by 800% in mice with androgenetic alopecia after 10 days.
15 citations
,
June 2020 in “Experimental Dermatology” This review discusses recent genetic findings on hormonal signaling pathways in androgenetic alopecia, reporting no new study results but highlighting the need for further investigation.
7 citations
,
January 2020 in “Frontiers in Pharmacology” This study found that the combination of epidermal growth factor and Jagged1 significantly stimulated hair growth in mice with androgen-suppressed conditions, suggesting potential therapeutic implications for androgenetic alopecia.
30 citations
,
January 2020 in “Fertility and Sterility” This review discusses the evidence for post-finasteride syndrome as a condition potentially induced by finasteride and dutasteride, associating them with sexual dysfunction, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in a subset of men, and reports no new clinical results.
45 citations
,
August 2019 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This review discusses the physiopathology of androgenetic alopecia and evaluates various traditional and emerging treatments, reporting no new clinical results but highlighting the need for enhanced treatment strategies.
32 citations
,
January 2019 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” This review discusses the use of topical minoxidil for various types of alopecia and reports mixed evidence on its efficacy, with stronger support noted for conditions like eyebrow hypotrichosis and chemotherapy-induced alopecia.
58 citations
,
December 2018 in “Nature Communications” This study found that male pattern baldness in European males is strongly heritable and associated with genetic markers linked to earlier puberty, bone density, and pancreatic function.
134 citations
,
December 2018 in “Dermatology and Therapy” This review discusses the potential role of vitamins and minerals in managing non-scarring alopecia but reports no clinical results; the authors advocate for further controlled trials to explore these relationships.
24 citations
,
January 2018 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” This review discusses advances in molecular biology and genetics related to androgenetic alopecia and reports no new clinical results.
22 citations
,
December 2017 in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” This study found that millimolar concentrations of minoxidil in the skin induced VEGF production through HIF-1 stabilization by inhibiting PHD-2, implying a molecular mechanism for hair growth promotion.
113 citations
,
November 2017 in “Scientific Reports” This study found that treatment with mesenchymal stem cell extracellular vesicles enhanced hair growth in mice and stimulated dermal papilla cell activity and growth factor production in vitro.
43 citations
,
April 2017 in “Experimental Dermatology” This review summarizes the genetic studies on female pattern hair loss, highlighting the lack of clearly identified susceptibility loci and suggesting distinct aetiological differences from male pattern hair loss.
47 citations
,
October 2016 in “Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology” This study found that DKK1 and WNT10b are paracrine factors that modulate hair follicle stem cell differentiation inhibition, contributing to androgenetic alopecia by affecting Wnt signaling in androgen-sensitive dermal papilla cells after dihydrotestosterone stimulation.
46 citations
,
April 2016 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study suggests that down-regulation of vasculature-related genes in dermal papilla cells from balding scalps might contribute to the development of androgenetic alopecia.
42 citations
,
February 2016 in “Science” The document concludes that both internal stem cell factors and external influences like the environment and hormones affect hair loss and aging, with potential treatments focusing on these areas.
42 citations
,
December 2015 in “International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics” This study found that applying a novel 0.25% finasteride solution to the scalp can effectively reduce scalp DHT levels in men with androgenetic alopecia, potentially reducing systemic side-effects.
51 citations
,
April 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Hair follicle stem cells rely on nearby blood vessels for their maintenance and function.
74 citations
,
January 2013 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Four genetic risk spots found for hair loss, with WNT signaling involved and a link to curly hair.
95 citations
,
January 2012 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This study found that androgens inhibit hair follicle stem cell differentiation by disrupting the Wnt signalling pathway in dermal papilla cells, but Wnt activation can restore differentiation.
198 citations
,
October 2011 in “Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft” This article discusses the development of an evidence-based guideline for treating androgenetic alopecia and reports no new research results.
10 citations
,
June 2009 in “Acta Biochimica Polonica” This study found that splenic melanosis in C57BL/6 mice is associated with synchronized skin melanization during hair cycles, but decreases with age.
