Triton Modified Polyethyleneimine Conjugates Assembled With Growth Arrest-Specific Protein 6 for Androgenetic Alopecia Transdermal Gene Therapy

The study investigates a novel transdermal gene therapy for androgenetic alopecia using Triton-modified polyethyleneimine (PEI-Triton) to deliver growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6) plasmid DNA. Conducted on 22 mice, the research shows that PEI-Triton-6/pDNAGas6 complexes enhance hair growth and density, with low cytotoxicity and high transfection efficiency. The treatment promotes hair follicle development by activating STAT3 phosphorylation and increasing Bcl-2 expression, inhibiting apoptosis, and prolonging the anagen phase. The results indicate significant hair regrowth in the AGA/Gas6 treatment group, comparable to minoxidil, without skin irritation or systemic toxicity, suggesting Gas6 as a promising gene therapy candidate for androgenetic alopecia.