Combining rapid degrading microneedles with Slow-Released drug delivery system for the treatment of alopecia areata

Patients suffering from alopecia areata often have limited therapeutic options for anti-hair loss. Compared with hair transplant and oral finasteride, therapy with fewer side effects for alopecia areata has been explored. Herein, a facile minoxidil (MNX) loaded porous UiO-66 microneedle (MN) patch enabling realize rapid-release of UiO-66 and slow-release of MNX simultaneously is reported. The MN patch is composed of polylactic acid (PLA) substrate and hyaluronic acid (HA) MN arrays. Once being inserted under the skin, HA-MN arrays would dissolve rapidly and MNX-loaded UiO-66 releases concurrently in a short time, followed by MNX releasing from UiO-66 continuously under the skin. The therapeutic schedule could reduce the use time and frequency of MN patches effectively to lower the negative effects brought to the patients by the treatment, such as risk of bacterial infection and aesthetic degree of wearing. UiO-66 loaded MN patches present antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) to avoid bacterial infection during use. PLA substrate provides enough mechanical property to remove the patches entirely after using. After the fabricated MNX-loaded PLA/HA-MNs being inserted, the patches induced the high level of IκBα and low level of p-P65 in the topical treatment via mice model, thus inhibiting the phosphorylation of NF-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Collectively, this smart drug slow-release system promotes the safety and effectiveness of treatment for alopecia areata, thus exhibiting potential applications for hair loss.