Transcutaneous Implantation of Valproic Acid-Encapsulated Dissolving Microneedles Induces Hair Regrowth

The document describes a study that explored the use of valproic acid-encapsulated dissolving microneedles (DMN-VPA) as a treatment for androgenetic alopecia. The study found that DMN-VPA was more effective in delivering valproic acid through the skin and stimulating hair regrowth than topical application. In vivo experiments on mice (7 per group) showed that DMN-VPA treatment resulted in all mice exhibiting hair regrowth, increased hair shaft density and thickness, and a more effective transition from the telogen to anagen phase of hair follicles. The study, which included quantitative analyses with sample sizes of n=20 for hair shaft measurements, n=10 for protein expression analyses, and n=3 for gene expression analyses, concluded that DMN-VPA is a highly effective method for promoting hair regrowth and could be a potential treatment for hair loss conditions like androgenetic alopecia.