February 2024 in “Advanced Functional Materials” This study reported that a newly developed hydrogel patch, designed to recruit regulatory T cells through ROS-triggered release of CCL22, improved wound healing and hair follicle regeneration in a diabetic mouse model by scavenging ROS, thereby protecting Tregs and suppressing Th17 cells.
22 citations
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September 2024 in “Chemical Engineering Journal” A new microneedle patch effectively and safely treats alopecia areata.
January 2024 in “Journal of chemical health risks” In this study, a multifunctional aloin-arginine-alginate bio-patch was developed, which transforms into a hydrogel to accelerate wound healing and offers antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits, making it promising for use in cutaneous regeneration.
June 2025 in “OPAL (Open@LaTrobe) (La Trobe University)” This study found that a novel bioengineered microneedle patch successfully delivered minoxidil to induce hair growth in a mouse model, suggesting a promising approach to improve treatment for androgenetic alopecia.
June 2025 in “ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering” In this study, researchers developed a new microneedle patch delivery system for minoxidil, which enhanced its controlled release and improved hair growth in mice, potentially offering better treatment outcomes for androgenetic alopecia.
August 2023 in “ACS applied materials & interfaces” In this study, researchers developed an innovative wound healing patch combining electrical and chemical components, which effectively guided recovery in animal scald models by promoting collagen deposition and the regeneration of skin structures.
April 2019 in “C&EN global enterprise” In this study, a patch with microneedles regrew hair in shaved mice within six days, suggesting potential for treating hair loss in humans.
September 2026 in “Advanced Materials Technologies” In a mouse model study, researchers developed a methacrylated hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel microneedle patch co-loaded with finasteride and a carbon monoxide-releasing molecule for androgenetic alopecia, which showed better hair regrowth and safety compared to traditional treatments, offering an innovative approach with minimized systemic side effects.
49 citations
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January 2018 in “Theranostics” This study found that a novel skin patch combining extracellular matrix and ciprofloxacin promotes advanced wound healing and skin regeneration in mouse models of infected wounds.
In a rodent study, a flexible, self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator wound patch combining electrostimulation and photothermal effects was found to efficiently accelerate wound healing and hair follicle regeneration.
21 citations
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June 2024 in “Pharmaceuticals” This review examines the potential of swellable microneedles in drug delivery and diagnostics, highlighting innovations and challenges in their use for chronic disease treatment, but noting that issues like physiological responsiveness and long-term stability still require research.
April 2026 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” This study introduced hydrogel microneedles loaded with palladium nanoparticles, which utilize the inherent cytotoxicity of polyethyleneimine to enhance the effectiveness of doxorubicin in treating melanoma, achieving a tumor inhibition rate of up to 98% in a murine model.
2 citations
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April 2024 in “Advanced Materials” This study tested a hydrogel microneedle patch delivering T reg attractants in mice with alopecia, finding it boosted regulatory T cell numbers at the site, leading to hair regrowth without causing peripheral immunosuppression, suggesting a potential new approach for autoimmune skin disease treatment.
28 citations
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June 2020 in “ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering” This study found that a novel ECM patch combining human fibroblast-derived matrix and PVA hydrogel, seeded with human mesenchymal stem cells, significantly improved wound healing and tissue regeneration in a mouse model.
March 2026 in “Materials Today Bio” This study developed a minimally invasive cryo-microneedles array patch (cryo-MAP) technique for transplanting hair follicle organoids, showing successful hair growth and complex skin structure regeneration with over 86% success in 15 days, opening new possibilities in tissue engineering.
81 citations
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October 2023 in “Bioactive Materials” This review highlights the promising potential of 3D printing for creating microneedles with precise customization and improved performance compared to traditional micromolding, emphasizing applications in personalized medical devices and advancements in biomedical fields.
1 citations
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August 2023 in “Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews” This review discusses various microneedle technologies for long-acting drug delivery, highlighting design considerations and challenges in bringing these minimally invasive devices to market, but it reports no new clinical results.
140 citations
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December 2017 in “Journal of Controlled Release” This study reviews the evolution and modifications of microneedle drug delivery systems, initially designed for percutaneous use, now expanded for targeting a variety of tissues and organs such as ocular, oral mucosal, and gastrointestinal, suggesting widespread future applicability.
July 2025 in “Nano Research” This article discusses how designing biomaterials to modulate immune responses has become a promising strategy for enhancing tissue repair and regeneration.
September 2016 in “Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery/The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery/The journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery” This article discusses advancements in heart tissue engineering, emphasizing the importance of environmental signals for cardiomyocyte survival and growth, but reports no new clinical findings.
May 2026 in “Medical Sciences” This review found that vesicle-based therapies, including mammalian MSC-derived and plant-derived vesicles, consistently promote wound healing in preclinical models of thermal injury and may offer a safer alternative to live cell transplants.
September 2024 in “Vietnam Journal of Biotechnology” This study found that astaxanthin effectively protected human dermal papillae cells from oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide, reducing the percentage of cells expressing a stress marker significantly, suggesting potential benefits for hair loss treatment related to reactive oxygen species.
57 citations
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June 2021 in “Polymers” This review discusses photothermal agent hybrids in hydrogels for antibacterial action, angiogenesis, and osteogenesis in tissue engineering, but reports no new experimental findings.
June 2026 in “Frontiers in Materials” This review examines advancements in "smart" hydrogel dressings for complex wound healing, highlighting innovations in materials that provide multifunctionality, such as responsive drug delivery and regenerative capabilities. The study also addresses potential challenges in clinical application, like manufacturing and regulatory hurdles.
192 citations
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April 2019 in “ACS nano” In a mouse model, this study demonstrated that a microneedle patch system using keratin and integrated with MSC-derived exosomes and UK5099 promoted hair regrowth more efficiently than traditional delivery methods.
31 citations
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August 2019 in “Regenerative Medicine” This study found that the human placenta extracellular matrix hydrogel restored the hair-inductive capacity of high-passaged dermal papilla cells, enabling them to regenerate new hair follicles when co-grafted with mouse epidermal cells.
21 citations
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January 2023 in “Biomaterials Science” This study investigated the use of dissolving microneedle patches to improve the skin-lightening effects of alpha-arbutin and resveratrol, finding that the patches enhanced intradermal delivery and slightly decreased the melanin index without affecting skin hydration or causing irritation over 24 hours.
10 citations
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September 2024 in “Journal of Nanobiotechnology” This study developed an antimicrobial microneedle patch for delivering apoptotic vesicles to treat infected wounds, which was found to effectively reduce bacterial growth and accelerate scarless healing, including the rapid formation of mature hair follicles in just 8 days, a previously unreported early outcome.
9 citations
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December 2024 in “Nano Research” In a study on diabetic mice, researchers developed a protein-based hydrogel that leverages zinc ions and the natural compound phellopterin to promote cutaneous nerve regeneration, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling in diabetic wounds, highlighting its potential for advanced wound therapy.
4 citations
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August 2020 in “Applied Materials Today” This study suggests that human dermal fibroblasts can be converted into dermal papilla cell-like cells using microencapsulation, which may facilitate hair follicle regeneration in mice without chemical or genetic reprogramming.