title: Selective hair therapy: bringing science to the fiction.
abstract: Investigations on carrier-based drug delivery systems for higher selectivity in hair therapy have clearly evolved from dye release and model studies to highly sophisticated approaches, many of which specifically tackle hair indications and the delivery of hair-relevant molecules. Here, we group recent hair disease-oriented work into efforts towards (i) improved delivery of conventional drugs, (ii) delivery of novel drug classes, for example biomolecules and (iii) targeted delivery on the cellular/molecular level. Considering the solid foundation of experimental work, it does not take a large step outside the current box of thinking to follow the idea of using large carriers (>500 nm, unlikely to penetrate as a whole) for follicular penetration, retention and protection of sensitive compounds. Yet, reports on particles <200 nm being internalized by keratinocytes and dendritic cells at sites of barrier disruption (e.g., hair follicles) combined with recent advances in nanodermatology add interesting new facets to the possibilities carrier technologies could offer, for example, unprecedented levels of selectivity. The authors provide thought-provoking ideas on how smart delivery technologies and advances in our molecular understanding of hair pathophysiology could result in a whole new era of hair therapeutics. As the field still largely remains in preclinical investigation, determined efforts towards production of medical grade material and truly translational work are needed to demonstrate surplus value of carrier systems for clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Center for Hair and Skin Science, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Blume-Peytavi
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000639:trends; D015195:Drug Design; D004817:Epidermis / Q000187:drug effects; D006201:Hair Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006203:Hair Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D012869:Skin Absorption
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D006203:Hair Preparations
keywords: drug delivery systems; hair follicle targeting; nanodermatology; penetration; skin barrier