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Global Health, Special Population, and Women’s Health

(218) Development of dissolvable microneedles for scalp drug delivery in traction alopecia treatment

Introduction: Traction alopecia (TA) is a hair loss condition caused by prolonged tension on hair, commonly affecting women of African descent, with a prevalence of one-third in this population. There are no FDA-approved treatments for TA (1). In this study, the extract of Centella asiatica, rich in asiaticoside (AST), was investigated as an alternative therapeutic agent for TA. AST is well-known for its anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties (2). To address the challenge of delivering this poorly water-soluble compound, a dissolving microneedle array was developed.

Learning Objectives:

  • There are limited therapies for traction alopecia, a prevalent condition in Afro-descendant women.
  • Optimize the delivery of poorly soluble drugs, such as asiaticoside, to the scalp.
  • Develop a dissolving microneedle array for efficient delivery of asiaticoside.