Executive Summary : | Alopecia, or baldness, affects 50% of the current population and is linked to lifestyle, physical activity, and environmental pollutants. The age for baldness has decreased from 50 to 30 years, leading to psycho-emotional distress among younger generations. Alopecia is caused by dysregulation of hair follicles, triggered by oxidative stress or vascular inadequacy in the perifollicular microenvironment. Regeneration of hair can be induced by reducing perifollicular oxidative stress and promoting vascularization. Natural resources are being studied for their role in inducing hair growth and preventing hair fall, as they may avoid side effects from conventional chemicals used in alopecia treatment. Utilizing natural sources for inducing angiogenesis and reconstructing the perifollicular microenvironment can be an efficient therapeutic approach to treat alopecia. In this study, luminescent microneedle patches will be designed using nanosilver, sericin, and hyaluronic acid to hunt reactive oxygen species and induce angiogenesis in the perifollicular microenvironment, accelerating hair regrowth for alopecia treatment. The patches will have good mechanical stability, enhanced efficacy in reaching the dermis and epidermis layers, and help induce anagen phase of hair follicles. Invivo animal imaging will be performed to study the depletion of reactive oxygen species in hair regeneration.
The study aims to determine the angiogenic and perifollicular remodeling properties of the microneedle patches, which could help the younger generation overcome alopecia and lead a stress-free life. The cost of treatment will be less, but the results obtained will be better than current treatments. |