Development and Validation of a Comprehensive In Vitro Organ Model for Androgenetic Alopecia

June 2026 in “ BMC Biotechnology ”

Shizhao Liu, Wenzhen Li, Botian Jiang, Haoyang Li, Jian Chen (15340), Zhexiang Fan, Zhiqi Hu, Qian Qu, Yong Miao

androgenetic alopecia in vitro organ model dihydrotestosterone DHT hair follicle growth apoptosis β-catenin IGF-1 Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway TGF-β signaling pathway minoxidil bicalutamide drug evaluation personalized therapy regenerative treatments AGA Rogaine

TLDR The new model mimics hair loss and helps test treatments.

The study introduces a novel in vitro organ model for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) that effectively replicates the clinical and molecular characteristics of AGA, including androgen sensitivity. By optimizing dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentration, the model demonstrated inhibited hair follicle growth, increased apoptosis, and changes in key signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin and TGF-β. The model also showed partial reversal of DHT effects with minoxidil or bicalutamide. This model provides a valuable platform for drug evaluation and personalized therapy development, potentially aiding in the discovery of new regenerative treatments for AGA.

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