posted on 2021-07-19, 20:31authored byAnran Yuan, Fan Xia, Qiong Bian, Haibin Wu, Yueting Gu, Tao Wang, Ruxuan Wang, Lingling Huang, Qiaoling Huang, Yuefeng Rao, Daishun Ling, Fangyuan Li, Jianqing Gao
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is highly
prevalent in current society
but lacks effective treatments. The dysregulation of the hair follicle
niche induced by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and insufficient
vascularization in the perifollicular microenvironment is the leading
cause of AGA. Herein, we designed a ceria nanozyme (CeNZ)-integrated
microneedles patch (Ce-MNs) that can alleviate oxidative stress and
promote angiogenesis simultaneously to reshape the perifollicular
microenvironment for AGA treatment. On the basis of the excellent
mechanical strength of Ce-MNs, the encapsulated CeNZs with catalase-
and superoxide-mimic activities can be efficiently delivered into
skin to scavenge excessive ROS. Moreover, the mechanical stimulation
induced by the administration of MNs can remodel the microvasculature
in the balding region. Compared with minoxidil, a widely used clinical
drug for AGA treatment, Ce-MNs exhibited accelerated hair regeneration
in the AGA mouse model at a lower administration frequency without
inducing significant skin damage. Consequently, such a safe and perifollicular
microenvironment-shaping MNs patch shows great potential for clinical
AGA treatment.