Efficacy assessment for low-level laser therapy in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a real-world study on 1383 patients

The Pharmacokinetics of Topical Finasteride 0.25% Spray in Chinese Adult Male Volunteers with Androgenic Alopecia: A Phase I Study

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and local tolerability of local finasteride spray (0.25% solution in HPCH, once daily, volume 200 μL) after single and multiple doses in Chinese male volunteers with androgenetic alopecia.

METHODS

Twelve male patients with androgenetic alopecia received once-daily scalp application of the solution for 7 days. Blood samples were collected at specified time points (on day 1, days 3-6, and day 7 of the trial) and plasma finasteride concentrations were determined by HPLC-MS.

RESULTS

After single-dose administration, the Cmax of finasteride was 15.2 ± 5.54 pg/mL, Tmax was 11.00 (3.00, 20.00) h, AUC0-24h was 263 ± 76.6 h·pg/mL, t1/2 was 35.3 ± 47.7 h, and CL/F was 974 ± 518 L/h. After 7 days of multiple doses, Cmax,ss was 29.7 ± 12.9 pg/mL, Tmax,ss was 8.00 (3.00, 12.00) h, AUCtau,ss was 530 ± 251 h·pg/mL, AUC0-t,ss was 790 ± 464 h·pg/mL, t1/2,ss was 22.6 ± 10.7 h, and CL/Tss was 1080 ± 658 L/h. No clinically significant adverse events occurred during the study.

CONCLUSION

Compared to single-dose administration, multiple-dose administration of finasteride resulted in a stable half-life, minimal changes in clearance rate, and approximately twofold accumulation in exposure over 7 days. Multiple-dose administration of finasteride spray was well tolerated in Chinese male volunteers with androgenetic alopecia.

Human-Centric, Three Dimensional Micro Light-Emitting Diodes for Cosmetic and Medical Phototherapy

Phototherapy based on micro light-emitting diodes (µLEDs) has gained enormous attention in the medical field as a patient-friendly therapeutic method due to its advantages of minimal invasiveness, fewer side effects, and versatile device form factors with high stability in biological environment. Effective cosmetic and medical phototherapy depends on deep light penetration, precise irradiation, and simultaneous multi-site stimulation, facilitated by three-dimensional (3D) optoelectronics specifically designed for complex human matters, defined here as 3D µLEDs. This perspective article aims to present the functionalities and strategies of 3D µLEDs for human-centric phototherapy. This study investigates the effectiveness of phototherapy enabled by three key functionalities such as shape morphing, self-adaptation, and multilayered spatiotemporal mapping of 3D µLEDs. Finally, this article provides future insights of 3D µLEDs for human-centric phototherapy applications.

Low-Level Laser and LED Therapy in Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Low-level laser/LED therapy (LLLT) has been described as a treatment option for alopecia, but no study has comprehensively reviewed its efficacy in multiple alopecia types.

OBJECTIVE

To review and evaluate LLLT for various alopecia types.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL was conducted to identify studies assessing the effect of LLLT on patients diagnosed with alopecia. Prespecified outcome measure was the change in hair density. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate the standardized mean difference in hair density before and after LLLT compared with placebo.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight studies were included that described 3,098 patients with androgenetic alopecia (2,930/3,098), scarring alopecia (49/3,098), alopecia areata (50/3,098), telogen effluvium (17/3,098), and chemotherapy-induced alopecia (32/3,098). The mean change in hair density increased significantly in androgenetic alopecia patients after LLLT for 4 to 26 weeks compared with placebo (<20 weeks: SMD = 1.14; 95% CI [0.51-1.78]; p = .000; I 2 = 88.26%; >20 weeks: SMD = 1.44; 95% CI [0.97-1.91]; p = .000; I 2 = 80.81%). Change in hair density was reported in 5 studies evaluating other alopecia types; however, statistical information was insufficient for meta-analysis.

CONCLUSION

LLLT is a promising treatment option for patients with androgenetic alopecia, but future studies are needed to better understand its efficacy in other alopecia types.

Nanotechnology-based techniques for hair follicle regeneration

The hair follicle (HF) is a multicellular complex structure of the skin that contains a reservoir of multipotent stem cells. Traditional hair repair methods such as drug therapies, hair transplantation, and stem cell therapy have limitations. Advances in nanotechnology offer new approaches for HF regeneration, including controlled drug release and HF-specific targeting. Until recently, embryogenesis was thought to be the only mechanism for forming hair follicles. However, in recent years, the phenomenon of wound-induced hair neogenesis (WIHN) or de novo HF regeneration has gained attention as it can occur under certain conditions in wound beds. This review covers HF-specific targeting strategies, with particular emphasis on currently used nanotechnology-based strategies for both hair loss-related diseases and HF regeneration. HF regeneration is discussed in several modalities: modulation of the hair cycle, stimulation of progenitor cells and signaling pathways, tissue engineering, WIHN, and gene therapy. The HF has been identified as an ideal target for nanotechnology-based strategies for hair regeneration. However, some regulatory challenges may delay the development of HF regeneration nanotechnology based-strategies, which will be lastly discussed.

What's New in Therapy for Male Androgenetic Alopecia?

Male androgenetic alopecia is a common condition and represents a major concern for patients who experience this condition. While there are different treatments to stop hair loss and improve hair density, the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors have demonstrated to be effective in improving androgenetic alopecia in men and can maintain a positive response for many years. Oral finasteride 1 mg is a US FDA-approved option, but dutasteride 0.5 mg has been proven to induce better responses, especially in the frontal area. Both have been shown to be safe in clinical trials but there is widespread concern about sexual adverse effects among patients. The use of topical finasteride has increased during the last few years as a useful option to avoid systemic therapy. The efficacy of topical finasteride 0.25% daily has been demonstrated in clinical trials, with a less marked decrease in serum dihydrotestosterone levels than with oral intake. Mesotherapy with dutasteride has also become more widespread recently, although evidence of its effectiveness is limited to retrospective studies in real clinical practice. The use of oral minoxidil in androgenetic alopecia has not been approved by the FDA, however several clinical studies have shown that it is an effective treatment option. The initial dose recommended to treat male hair loss is 2.5 mg daily, although the dose is frequently increased to 5 mg daily. The main adverse effect of oral minoxidil is hypertrichosis, followed by dizziness or lower limb edema, which are much less common. Platelet-rich plasma is a non-pharmacological option to treat male androgenetic alopecia, with some clinical trials demonstrating an improvement in hair count after several months. Among the published studies, the main limitation to compare its efficacy is the heterogeneity of the procedure. The most frequent regimens propose treatment every 4 weeks for 3 months initially to assess the individual response. Another treatment alternative is the use of light devices with wavelengths of between 630 and 660 nm, known as low-level laser therapy. These devices can be used at home every day for 15-30 min. Their efficacy has been shown in a limited number of clinical trials; however, there is a lack of evidence about the efficacy of these devices compared with other medical options or as a complementary therapy in hair loss. The pipeline of potential new treatments for male androgenetic alopecia is strong. Pyrilutamide and GT20029 are being studied as topical antagonists of the androgen receptor, while cetirizine is another topical option with some initial promising results. Furthermore, according to isolated studies with heterogeneous treatment schemes, the use of botulinum toxin in the scalp might improve androgenetic alopecia, and lastly, scalp threading might increase the total hair count as growth factors are released during implantation.