Abstract
The interest in alternative material systems and delivery methods for treatment of androgenetic alopecia has been increasing in the recent decades. Topical application of valproic acid (VPA), an FDA-approved anticonvulsant drug, has been shown to effectively stimulate hair follicle (HF) regrowth by upregulating Wnt/β-catenin, a key pathway involved in initiation of HF development. Moreover, a majority of studies have suggested that cutaneous wound re-epithelialization is capable of inducing HF through Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Here, we report fabrication and evaluation of a novel VPA-encapsulating dissolving microneedle (DMN-VPA) that creates minimally invasive dermal micro-wounds upon application, significantly improving the VPA delivery efficiency. DMN-VPA not only delivers encapsulated VPA with higher accuracy than topical application, it also stimulates wound re-epithelialization signals involved in HF regrowth. Through a series of in vivo studies, we show that micro-wounding-mediated implantation of DMN-VPA upregulates expression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, alkaline phosphatase, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, loricrin and HF stem cell markers, including keratin 15, and CD34 more effectively than topical application.
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