Injectable Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogel Delivering Poria Cocos Extracellular Vesicles Promotes Hair Regeneration in Androgenetic Alopecia via Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

May 2026 in “ International Journal of Biological Macromolecules ”

Huiting Luo, Shang Wang, Hantao Wang, Xinxin Geng, Qinyi Xu, Lingling Ye, L Yang, Wei Xiang, Yì Wáng, Chunli Li, Dazhi Ke

injectable hydrogel polysaccharide-based hydrogel sodium carboxymethylcellulose sodium alginate hyaluronic acid Poria cocos extracellular vesicles PCEVs androgenetic alopecia AGA DHT Wnt/β-catenin signaling hair follicles follicle density dermal thickness stem-cell quiescence follicular regeneration hair loss hair regrowth hair regeneration

TLDR The hydrogel with Poria cocos vesicles helps regrow hair in hair loss by activating specific cell signals.

The study developed an injectable hydrogel composed of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, sodium alginate, and hyaluronic acid to deliver Poria cocos extracellular vesicles (PCEVs) for treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA). This hydrogel effectively localized and preserved the vesicles within hair follicles, promoting sustained release. In a DHT-induced AGA mouse model, the PCEV-loaded hydrogel significantly improved hair regrowth, follicle density, and dermal thickness by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The treatment upregulated differentiation markers and downregulated stem-cell quiescence markers, reversing stem-cell quiescence and promoting follicular regeneration. This approach offers a scalable and stable strategy for hair loss treatment.

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