Bifunctional Sodium Hyaluronate Microneedle Patches Integrating 5α-Reductase and ROS Regulation for Boosted Hair Regeneration

July 2025 in “ International Journal of Biological Macromolecules ”

Yudie Lv, Yongjia Zhang, Xiaoli Zhou, Weili Yang, Ting Zhang, Han Zhang, Yao Li, Ruibo Zhao, Xiangdong Kong

TLDR The microneedle patch boosts hair growth by reducing DHT and oxidative stress.

The study presents a novel bifunctional sodium hyaluronate microneedle patch designed to combat androgenetic alopecia by integrating glycyrrhizin-loaded dutasteride micelles and mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles. This dual-action patch effectively inhibits type 2 5α-reductase activity, reducing dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels, and scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby mitigating oxidative stress. The microneedle patch demonstrated significant acceleration of hair growth in both in vitro and in vivo models, offering a promising translational treatment for hair regeneration by addressing both DHT production and ROS accumulation.

View this study on sciencedirect.com →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Research cited in this study

34 / 34 results

research Hybrid Hair Follicle Stem Cell Extracellular Vesicles Co-Delivering Finasteride and Gold Nanoparticles for Androgenetic Alopecia Treatment

August 2024 in “Journal of Controlled Release”

A new treatment using hybrid vesicles with gold nanoparticles and finasteride significantly improves hair regrowth for androgenetic alopecia.

Polydopamine Synergizes with Quercetin Nanosystem to Reshape the Perifollicular Microenvironment for Accelerating Hair Regrowth in Androgenetic Alopecia

research Polydopamine Synergizes with Quercetin Nanosystem to Reshape the Perifollicular Microenvironment for Accelerating Hair Regrowth in Androgenetic Alopecia

May 2024 in “Nano letters”

Polydopamine and quercetin together can speed up hair regrowth.

Sexual Dysfunction With 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor Therapy for Androgenetic Alopecia: A Global Propensity Score Matched Retrospective Cohort Study

research Sexual Dysfunction With 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor Therapy for Androgenetic Alopecia: A Global Propensity Score Matched Retrospective Cohort Study

March 2024 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Taking medication for hair loss might cause sexual problems.

Co-Delivery of Minoxidil and Tocopherol Acetate Ethosomes to Reshape the Hair Follicle Microenvironment and Promote Hair Regeneration in Androgenetic Alopecia

research Co-Delivery of Minoxidil and Tocopherol Acetate Ethosomes to Reshape the Hair Follicle Microenvironment and Promote Hair Regeneration in Androgenetic Alopecia

October 2023 in “International Journal of Pharmaceutics”

Using minoxidil with tocopherol acetate in ethosomes improves hair regrowth in hair loss treatment.

research Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effects of AGA Drugs by Measuring Finasteride, Dutasteride, and Dihydrotestosterone in Hair

June 2023 in “Clinica Chimica Acta”

Finasteride and dutasteride effectively reduce DHT in hair, which may help evaluate their treatment success for hair loss.

research Dissolving Microneedle Patch Integrated With Microspheres For Long-Acting Hair Regrowth Therapy

March 2023 in “ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces”

A new microneedle patch can help regrow hair over a long time.

research Curcumin-Zinc Framework Encapsulated Microneedle Patch for Promoting Hair Growth

January 2023 in “Theranostics”

A patch with curcumin-zinc can improve hair growth and health by delivering beneficial particles to the skin, increasing hair follicles, and reversing effects of a hair loss hormone.

research A Lipid–Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticle-Loaded Dissolving Microneedle Patch for Promoting Hair Regrowth by Transdermal miR-218 Delivery

13 citations , November 2022 in “Biomaterials Science”

The microneedle patch effectively promotes hair regrowth by delivering miR-218.

research Dutasteride Nanoemulsion Preparation to Inhibit 5-Alpha-Hair Follicle Reductase Enzymes in the Hair Follicle: An Ex Vivo Study

1 citations , October 2022 in “Iet Nanobiotechnology”

The dutasteride nanoemulsion could improve hair loss treatment by enhancing drug penetration and retention in hair follicles.

research Machine Learning Guided Discovery of Superoxide Dismutase Nanozymes for Androgenetic Alopecia

3 citations , October 2022 in “Nano Letters”

Machine learning identified promising nanozymes for treating hair loss.

research Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies Regulators of the Wnt Signalling and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Pathways as Possible Mediators of Androgenetic Alopecia

October 2022 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

research What's New in Therapy for Male Androgenetic Alopecia?

2 citations , September 2022 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology”

research Conditioned Media-Integrated Microneedles for Hair Regeneration Through Perifollicular Angiogenesis

12 citations , August 2022 in “Journal of Controlled Release”

A new microneedle patch effectively promotes hair growth by increasing blood vessel formation around hair follicles.

research Glycyrrhizin Micellar Nanocarriers for Topical Delivery of Baicalin to the Hair Follicles: A Targeted Approach Tailored for Alopecia Treatment

24 citations , August 2022 in “International Journal of Pharmaceutics”

Glycyrrhizin nanocarriers effectively deliver baicalin to hair follicles, promoting hair growth and offering a promising alopecia treatment with fewer side effects.

Androgen Receptor-Mediated Paracrine Signaling Induces Regression of Blood Vessels in the Dermal Papilla in Androgenetic Alopecia

research Androgen Receptor-Mediated Paracrine Signaling Induces Regression of Blood Vessels in the Dermal Papilla in Androgenetic Alopecia

6 citations , January 2022 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

Male pattern baldness is linked to higher levels of a certain receptor in the scalp, which leads to the shrinking of blood vessels and hair loss. Early treatment targeting this receptor could be more effective.

research Ceria Nanozyme-Integrated Microneedles Reshape the Perifollicular Microenvironment for Androgenetic Alopecia Treatment

38 citations , July 2021 in “ACS Nano”

Microneedles help treat hair loss by improving hair surroundings and promoting growth.

research Functional Hair Follicle Regeneration: An Updated Review

42 citations , February 2021 in “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy”

Hair follicle regeneration possible, more research needed.

research Fisetin Promotes Hair Growth by Augmenting TERT Expression

22 citations , October 2020 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology”

Fisetin, a type of polyphenol, may help hair grow by increasing certain protein activities in cells.

research Novel Iron Oxide Nanocarriers Loading Finasteride or Dutasteride: Enhanced Skin Penetration for Topical Treatment of Alopecia

12 citations , July 2020 in “International Journal of Pharmaceutics”

Iron oxide nanoparticles improve skin penetration and drug release for hair loss treatment.

research 5α-Reductase Inhibitors in Men Aged 50 Years or Older with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Retrospective Study

1 citations , April 2020 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

5ARI treatment improves hair growth in older men with minimal side effects.

The Psychosocial Burden of Alopecia Areata and Androgenetic Alopecia: A Cross-Sectional Multicentre Study Among Dermatological Outpatients in 13 European Countries

research The Psychosocial Burden of Alopecia Areata and Androgenetic Alopecia: A Cross-Sectional Multicentre Study Among Dermatological Outpatients in 13 European Countries

46 citations , August 2019 in “Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

People with hair loss conditions experience more anxiety, depression, and a lower quality of life than those without these conditions.

research HMGB1 Promotes Hair Growth via the Modulation of Prostaglandin Metabolism

12 citations , April 2019 in “Scientific Reports”

A protein called HMGB1 helps hair grow by affecting prostaglandin metabolism.

research Dissection of Genetic Variation and Evidence for Pleiotropy in Male Pattern Baldness

58 citations , December 2018 in “Nature Communications”

Male pattern baldness is mostly inherited, involves many genes, and is linked to other traits like early puberty and strong bones.

research The Medical and Psychosocial Associations of Alopecia: Recognizing Hair Loss as More Than a Cosmetic Concern

36 citations , November 2018 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology”

Alopecia is linked to various health and mental conditions, impacts life quality, and needs medical attention beyond its cosmetic effects.

Adverse Sexual Effects of Treatment with Finasteride or Dutasteride for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

research Adverse Sexual Effects of Treatment with Finasteride or Dutasteride for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

15 citations , January 2018 in “Acta dermato-venereologica”

Finasteride and dutasteride increase sexual dysfunction risk by 1.57 times in male hair loss treatment.

research GWAS for Male-Pattern Baldness Identifies 71 Susceptibility Loci Explaining 38% of the Risk

57 citations , November 2017 in “Nature Communications”

Researchers found 71 genetic regions linked to male pattern baldness, which account for 38% of its genetic risk.

research Androgens and Androgen Receptor Action in Skin and Hair Follicles

100 citations , September 2017 in “Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology”

Male hormones and their receptors play a key role in hair loss and skin health, with potential new treatments being explored.

research Oxidative Stress Management in the Hair Follicle: Could Targeting NRF2 Counter Age-Related Hair Disorders and Beyond?

30 citations , July 2017 in “BioEssays”

Activating NRF2 might help treat hair disorders by improving antioxidant defenses.

research Oxidative Stress in Androgenetic Alopecia

13 citations , March 2017 in “PubMed”

People with a common type of hair loss have higher stress levels in their body, and treatments that reduce this stress could help.

research Meta-Analysis Identifies Novel Risk Loci and Yields Systematic Insights into the Biology of Male-Pattern Baldness

64 citations , March 2017 in “Nature communications”

Researchers found 63 genes linked to male-pattern baldness, which could help in understanding its biology and developing new treatments.

research The Role of Oxidative Stress in Early-Onset Androgenetic Alopecia

13 citations , December 2016 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology”

Oxidative stress increases in early hair loss, and family history plays a role; antioxidants may help future treatments.

research Comparative Transcriptome Profiling Provides New Insights Into Mechanisms of Androgenetic Alopecia Progression

12 citations , May 2016 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

AGA progression involves increased lipid synthesis, electron transport, and hair follicle miniaturization.

research Conditions Simulating Androgenetic Alopecia

6 citations , January 2015 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology”

Different hair loss types need accurate diagnosis for proper treatment.

research Control of Hair Growth and Follicle Size by VEGF-Mediated Angiogenesis

520 citations , February 2001 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation”

VEGF helps hair grow and determines follicle size by increasing blood vessel growth.