Ultrasonic Hollow Microneedle Array for Androgenetic Alopecia Treatment Through Modulating the Expression of Hair-Growth-Associated Genes

March 2025 in “ ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces ”

Huayi Wu, Ziyan Chen, Zixi Jiang, Maike Chen, Shan Han, Qibo Lin, Qi Sun, C L Lyu, Kai Ye, Ziyan Chen, Wuyuan Tan

ultrasound hollow microneedle array USHM finasteride androgenetic alopecia ultrasonic cavitation keratin intermediate filaments Propecia

TLDR Ultrasonic microneedles improve hair regrowth treatment effectiveness without side effects.

The study introduces an ultrasound hollow microneedle array (USHM) as a novel drug delivery system to enhance the transdermal delivery of finasteride for treating androgenetic alopecia. This method leverages ultrasonic cavitation to improve finasteride's therapeutic effects, avoiding side effects on the prostate and sexual function. In mouse experiments, USHM accelerated hair regrowth more effectively than traditional microneedle and topical applications. RNA sequencing revealed that USHM delivery upregulated genes associated with hair growth, such as those related to keratin and intermediate filaments. The findings suggest that USHM could significantly improve finasteride treatment efficacy for androgenetic alopecia.

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