A clinical trial of treating androgenic alopecia with mesenchymal stem cell suspension derived from autologous hair follicle

Background: Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is characterized by progressive hair follicle miniaturization. Novel treatments are needed to intervene in the miniaturization process. The authors aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, effectiveness, and effective population of autologous hair follicle mesenchymal stem cell therapy for the treatment of advanced AGA in Chinese individuals. Methods: Fifty patients ranging in age from 25 to 45 years (average, 32 ± 1.24 years) were included. None of them had ever used minoxidil, finasteride, or other drugs to promote hair growth. Healthy hair follicles were extracted from the occipital area and treated to obtain hair follicle mesenchymal stem cell suspensions. The recipient sites were divided into 2 groups. Nine points were injected in a 1-cm 2 area, and 100 µL of solution containing either 1 × 10 5 cells or normal saline was injected at each point. The follow-up duration was 9 months. Observers were blinded to patient groupings and measurements. Results: An increased proportion of terminal hair and hair shaft diameter was observed in the experimental group at 1 month. The effect lasted for 3 months. The hair-thickening effect of advanced miniaturized hair follicles with hair shaft diameter less than 60 µm was more notable than that for above 60 µm. No patient experienced any obvious side effects. Conclusions: Hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells were effective in the treatment of advanced AGA in Chinese individuals. A hair shaft diameter of 60 µm can be used as a key index to predict the effectiveness of the therapy. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.