AI Microneedle Patches to Regrow Hair Designed

AI(artificial intelligence) helps researchers design microneedle patches that restore hair in balding mice.

AI inflammation

Androgenic alopecia, often known as male- or female-pattern baldness, is a disorder that affects the majority of people who have significant hair loss. Androgens, inflammation, or an excess of reactive oxygen species, such as oxygen free radicals, can all cause damage to hair follicles in this condition. This condition can also cause hair loss. When there are excessive levels of oxygen free radicals, these radicals might overpower the antioxidant enzymes that are normally responsible for keeping them in check within the body.

Loss of hair is an unpleasant experience for everyone involved, both men and women, because of the close relationship that one’s hairdo frequently has with their level of self-confidence. Moreover, while there are those who welcome it, there are others who lament their thinning hair and wish they could have it back.

AI Nano Letters

Now, researchers have utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to anticipate molecules that could neutralize reactive oxygen species in the scalp that cause baldness. Their findings were published in the journal Nano Letters published by the ACS. They used the most promising candidate to create a proof-of-concept microneedle patch and successfully regrow hair on mice.

One of these enzymes is known as superoxide dismutase (SOD), and scientists have just lately developed enzyme mimics that they call “nanozymes” for SOD. However, those that have been documented up to this point are not very effective at getting rid of oxygen-free radicals. Therefore, Lina Wang, Zhiling Zhu, and their colleagues decided to investigate whether or not machine learning, a sort of artificial intelligence, could assist them in developing a more effective nanozyme for treating hair loss.

MnPS3 microneedle patches

The researchers decided to look into prospective options for nanozymes in the form of transition-metal thiophosphate compounds. They put machine-learning algorithms through their paces with 91 different combinations of transition metals, phosphates, and sulfates, and the methods predicted that MnPS3 would have the most potent SOD-like ability of all of the compounds. After that, MnPS3 nanosheets were produced by using powdered manganese, red phosphorus, and sulfur and subjecting them to chemical vapor transport. In preliminary studies utilizing fibroblast cells from human skin, the nanosheets were able to drastically lower the amounts of reactive oxygen molecules without causing any damage.

Androgenic Alopecia

The scientists used these findings to manufacture MnPS3 microneedle patches, which they then used to treat mice models that had been impacted by androgenic alopecia. Within 13 days, the animals had regrown hair strands that were thicker and more densely covered their previously hairless backsides. This was in contrast to the mice that were treated with testosterone or minoxidil.

According to the researchers, their investigation resulted in the production of a nanozyme treatment for regenerating hair, as well as revealed the potential for the employment of computer-based methodologies in the creation of future nanozyme treatments. The authors expressed their gratitude to the National Natural Science Foundation of China as well as the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China, for providing financial support.