Yin Meirong, Zeng Yongnian, Liu Han-Qing, Zhang Wen, Wang Chenyuan, Chen Chuang, Li Wei
Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2023 Apr 12;15(14):17532-17542. doi: 10.1021/acsami.2c22814. Epub 2023 Mar 28.
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of progressive hair loss in both men and women that severely reduces life quality and affects patients' self-esteem. Due to the shortcomings of traditional therapeutic formulations (e.g., topical minoxidil and oral finasteride), such as low bioavailability, frequent dosing, and significant side effects, there is an urgent need to develop a safe and effective strategy for AGA treatment. Here, we report a water-soluble microneedle (MN) patch integrated with biodegradable minoxidil (MXD)-loaded microspheres for long-acting AGA treatment with reduced administration frequency and improved patient compliance. When the patch pierces the skin, the MNs rapidly dissolve and deliver MXD-encapsulated polylactic--glycolic acid (PLGA) microspheres into the skin, which, subsequently act as drug reservoirs for the sustained release of the therapeutics for over 2 weeks. Additionally, the application of the MN patch provided a mechanical stimulation on mouse skin, which was also helpful for hair regrowth. Compared with the topical MXD solutions that have been commercialized on the market and require daily application, the long-acting MN patch contains a much lower drug amount and shows a similar or superior hair regeneration effect in AGA mice while only requiring monthly or weekly administration. These encouraging results suggest a simple, safe, and effective strategy for long-acting hair regeneration in clinics.
雄激素性脱发（AGA）是男性和女性中最常见的进行性脱发类型，严重降低生活质量并影响患者的自尊心。由于传统治疗制剂（如外用米诺地尔和口服非那雄胺）存在生物利用度低、给药频繁和明显副作用等缺点，迫切需要开发一种安全有效的AGA治疗策略。在此，我们报告了一种水溶性微针（MN）贴片，其集成了负载可生物降解米诺地尔（MXD）的微球，用于长效AGA治疗，减少给药频率并提高患者依从性。当贴片刺入皮肤时，微针迅速溶解并将包裹MXD的聚乳酸-乙醇酸（PLGA）微球递送至皮肤中，随后这些微球作为药物储存库，可使治疗药物持续释放超过2周。此外，MN贴片的应用对小鼠皮肤提供了机械刺激，这也有助于毛发再生。与市场上已商业化且需要每日应用的外用MXD溶液相比，长效MN贴片含药量低得多，在AGA小鼠中显示出相似或更好的毛发再生效果，而仅需每月或每周给药一次。这些令人鼓舞的结果表明了一种在临床上进行长效毛发再生的简单、安全且有效的策略。
