Microneedle Patch Shows Promise in Regrowing Hair Lost to Alopecia Areata: Study

A recent mice study on hair growth suggests a better treatment for individuals suffering from Alopecia.

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, there is no cure for alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition affecting 6 million Americans.

According to HealthDay, the condition causes thinning hair and bald patches when immune system T-cells attack hair follicles.

Some patients receive scalp injections of immunosuppressant steroids to relieve symptoms, while others use oral drugs, which might cause difficulties.

A Potential Safer Treatment for Alopecia Areata

Study co-senior author Natalie Artzi, a principal research scientist at MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, said that such an approach of silencing the immune system offers ease from "inflammation symptoms but causes "frequent recurrences."

Moreover, Artzi noted that it raises vulnerability to infections, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

In their experiment, first reported by Advanced Materials, Artzi's team developed a scalp-applied patch with several microneedles to reset the immune system and stop follicular assaults.

Artzi described the process as a "paradigm shift" as it focuses on the precise regulation at the site of antigen encounter to generate immune tolerance" instead of "suppressing the immune system.

In the MIT study, Mice treated with the microneedle patch had hair regrowth and decreased inflammation. Moreover, the approach prevented the systemic side effects of oral steroids.

Artzi and Harvard Medical School assistant professor Dr. Jamil Azzi noted that microneedle technology allows medication penetration through the skin's tough outer layer.

IL-2 and CCL-22, immunological chemicals that attract regulatory T cells and reduce local inflammation, are in the experimental patch. It trains the immune system to treat follicles as comrades rather than enemies. The researchers also propose using the patch to track therapy efficacy.

While the study has only advanced in mice, experts warn that animal model results don't necessarily apply to human trials.

The Boston team hopes to start a company to improve technology. They also think microneedle patches might treat other autoimmune skin diseases.

Here's What To Know About Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata affects people of all races and ethnicities, regardless of gender. The condition may start at any age, but it is more progressive in kids below 10, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Individuals with a family history of the condition have higher chances of developing alopecia areata. In contrast, people with autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, thyroid illness, vitiligo, and allergy conditions like hay fever are more likely to acquire the condition.

Some people get alopecia areata without a known cause; however, emotional stress or sickness may cause it in some.

Some alopecia symptoms are more common than others. According to Health, scalp hair loss is a common symptom, while eyelash loss is rare.

It can also affect eyebrows, facial hair, nose hair, and pubic hair. Hair loss in strips, progressive thinning, bald patches, and receding hairlines are frequent signs of the condition.

It is also important to note that some people with Alopecia lose hair quickly, shedding patches or strips within a day or two, falling out in clumps after brushing or washing, or losing most or all their hair at once.