Anti-PDGF receptor β antibody-conjugated squarticles loaded with minoxidil for alopecia treatment by targeting hair follicles and dermal papilla cells

Selective delivery of minoxidil (MXD) to the hair follicles is important for treating alopecia with reduced adverse effect and systemic absorption. The final target of MXD delivery should reach the lower infundibulum where the dermal papilla cells (DPCs) reside. In this work, we chose the PDGF receptor as a target for MXD-loaded nanoparticles as it was capable of specifically delivering MXD to the DPCs in the hair follicles. The experimental results demonstrated that PDGF-squarticles are an active targeting nanocarrier that could largely deposit in the follicles and penetrate into the DPCs to induce proliferation and VEGF release.133