Innovative regenerative treatment strategies for androgenetic alopecia: a review

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Abstract

Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss in both men and women. Androgenetic alopecia is characterized by increased sensitivity of hair, predominantly in the frontoparietal areas, to dihydrotestosterone, leading to hair loss and miniaturization. The hair growth cycle can be affected by various negative factors that reduce stem cell activity and the ability of hair follicles to regenerate.

It is a pressing issue to develop new treatment options that can stop the progression of the changes in hair follicles, and promote their regression. Cell therapy is a promising regenerative medicine technology that uses stem cells or their derivatives to promote the restoration of damaged tissues. A special research focus is on the use of mesenchymal stem cells and their extracellular vesicles to optimize hair follicle regeneration in androgenetic alopecia.

Our work used published data to demonstrate the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cells and exosomes (Exos) in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. The review was prepared using the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases. The following keywords were used to search the data sources: регенеративная медицина / regenerative medicine, андрогенная алопеция / androgenetic alopecia, экзосомы / exosomes, and мезенхимальные стволовые клетки / mesenchymal stem cells. The article presents the latest evidence on the effects of mesenchymal stem cells, their microenvironment and exosomes on the restoration process of weakened hair follicles. The demand for effective regenerative therapy remains high. Mesenchymal stem cell-based and cell-free regenerative strategies have shown promise in restoring hair follicles, making them a valuable area for future research.

Further investigation of the mechanism of human follicle regeneration is needed. A variety of epidermal/dermal components and regeneration techniques ensure flexibility in future clinical treatment approaches. Mesenchymal stem cell-based and cell-free regenerative strategies and tissue engineering techniques have shown promise in restoring hair follicles, making them a valuable area for future research. Using new regenerative techniques to treat androgenetic alopecia requires an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of action of cellular products and evaluation of the efficacy and safety of these techniques in preclinical and clinical settings.

About the authors

Konstantin M. Lomonosov

The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University

Email: lamclinic@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4580-6193
SPIN-code: 4784-9730

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow

Vladimir B. Pinegin

The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University

Email: vbpinegin@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-5159-1440
SPIN-code: 8699-4206

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)

Russian Federation, Moscow

Lyailya N. Kayumova

The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University

Email: avestohka2005@inbox.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0301-737X
SPIN-code: 4391-9553

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)

Russian Federation, Moscow

Viktoriia M. Poglazova

The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: vvvpoglazova@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0006-8049-040X
Russian Federation, Moscow

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