Microneedle patch holds promise for promoting hair regrowth caused by alopecia areata

Jun 8 2024Brigham and Women’s Hospital Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease characterized by hair loss, which occurs when T cells of the immune system mistakenly attack hair follicles. To restore control over hyperactive immune cells, investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, and MIT developed a cutting-edge approach to deliver T cell regulators directly to sites of hair loss and halt autoimmune activity.

The approach tested in this study marks a departure from current therapeutic strategies, which typically utilize immunosuppressants to suppress the immune system. Rather than globally suppressing the immune system, the researchers aimed to locally restore well-controlled immune activity directly at sites of hair loss by increasing levels of Tregs, whose numbers are reduced in AA.

"When it comes to autoimmune-mediated skin diseases, where we have direct access to the skin, we must surpass the use of systemic immunosuppressants that shut down the entire immune system,” said co-corresponding author Jamil Azzi, MD, PhD, an immunologist in the Brigham’s Renal Division in the Department of Medicine.

The microneedle patch was also found to have good shelf-life stability, improving prospects of its clinical translation. While the therapy is not ready for clinical use, the researchers are pursuing further development and testing. Additionally, they are exploring the possibility of applying their approach to other immune-mediated skin diseases, such as vitiligo and psoriasis.

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New treatment could reverse hair loss caused by autoimmune skin disease alopecia areataResearchers at MIT, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School have developed a potential new treatment for alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss and affects people of all ages, including children.
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