Exosomal therapy is a promising new approach to treating hair loss. Current treatments for androgenetic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss in both men and women, do not provide satisfactory effectiveness with minimal side effects; Thus, the fact that exosome therapy provides impressive hair growth without any side effects makes this therapy attractive. Review the current state of public knowledge on the effectiveness of exosome therapy for the treatment of hair loss and discuss the potential of exosomes as an alternative therapy for hair restoration.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of chronic progressive hair loss, with a worldwide prevalence of approximately 20%, and has a serious negative impact on the quality of life and physical and mental health of patients. In the face of the need to continually improve their quality of life, it is critical to develop new treatments to stop hair loss and increase hair proliferation.
The hair follicle is an intact skin microorganism that exhibits cyclic activity after birth. Hair follicle renewal occurs in three stable phases, namely: proliferation (anagen phase), degeneration (regression) and dormancy (resting phase). Androgens cause miniaturization of the hair follicle and inhibit hair growth by binding to the androgen receptor.Excessive activation of androgen receptors in the scalp accelerates hair loss by shortening the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle and thinning and pruning hair follicles. Hair loss is the result of apoptosis-induced premature growth cessation and degeneration of hair follicles, and the dermal papilla cells in scalp hair are androgen target cells.
Although two approved drugs (finasteride and minoxidil) are widely used on the market for the treatment of AGA, results of pharmacological trials indicate that at least 30–40% of the population are not eligible for treatment of hair loss. with minoxidil. Finasteride is not suitable for all hair loss patients, and both have significant side effects after taking the drug. Meanwhile, another treatment method, hair transplantation, has achieved some results in some patients, but it also has the disadvantage of insufficient hair and a cumbersome, expensive procedure. Given their limitations, there is a need to develop a more effective material to prevent hair loss.
In the treatment of alopecia or hair regrowth, exosome therapy is used as a new approach to treat hair loss that improves hair regrowth, including reversing the pathological mechanisms that cause hair loss, regenerating hair follicles, or using tissue engineering techniques to create hair.Studies have shown that injections of exosomes specifically administered into the frontal scalp of patients with alopecia increase hair density in the treated area by 29%. They increase the viability of fat cells. Additionally, preparing platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for injection into the scalp of patients with alopecia areata improves skin condition. ischemia and increases the vascular structure around the hair follicle, and is also effective in the treatment of female androgenetic alopecia.
Exosomes are nanovesicles derived from cell membranes with unique cell and tissue penetration abilities and small particle sizes that can easily cross biological barriers such as capillaries and the blood-brain barrier. In addition, exosomes have good biocompatibility, are easy to store and transport, can improve drug stability, reduce drug dosage, and can actively target drugs through surface modification. various diseases, inhibiting pathological processes. Exosomes have been found to have the ability to enhance the expression of VEGF and Ki-67, increase vascular density in tissues, reduce inflammation. Similarly, exosomes have shown promising effectiveness in hair restoration as they contain potent cytokines and growth factors that promote hair growth. Since mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) have been shown to stimulate proliferation and migration of skin fibroblasts and regulate scar formation, exosomes released by keratin-forming cells influence melanocyte pigmentation.
After two weeks of treatment, the group receiving the therapeutic formula with exosomes experienced significant hair regrowth. The real-time tracking method showed dynamic changes in the fluorescence signal of exosomes injected subcutaneously in the dorsal region. 96 hours after the last exosome injection, live tracking showed that a strong exosome fluorescence signal was still present in the skin, and the signs of exosomes disappeared in the area where hair had fully grown and the effect of exosomes on hair growth.
Exosomes are tiny particles containing cytoplasmic components that are released by cells during cell growth and cell membrane division. They are an important component of paracrine signaling. They regulate the biological activity of recipient cells and mediate intercellular communication, allowing cells to grow and communicate through transport proteins, nucleic acids and lipids.