Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education
Vol. 18 No. 1 (2026): April 2026

Hypoxia-Induced Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosome Enhance TGF-β, PDGF, and Hair Growth in Alopecia-Like Rat Models

Yoshi Puspitasari (Postgraduate Student of Biomedical Sciences Department, Medical Faculty, Sultan Agung Islamic University (UNISSULA), Semarang Central Java, Indonesia)
Sri Priyantini Mulyani (Department of Postgraduate Biomedical Science, Medical Faculty, Sultan Agung Islamic University (UNISSULA), Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia)
Eko Setiawan (Department of Postgraduate Biomedical Science, Medical Faculty, Sultan Agung Islamic University (UNISSULA), Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
28 Apr 2026

Abstract

Alopecia disrupts hair growth, leading to hair loss and baldness. Hypoxia-induced mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)–derived exosomes have emerged as a promising therapeutic alternative. These exosomes can modulate inflammatory responses and potentially enhance the expression of TGF-β and PDGF, key growth factors involved in hair follicle regeneration. This study aims to investigate the effects of hypoxia-induced MSC exosomes on TGF-β and PDGF expression in a fluconazole-induced alopecia-like rat model. Five groups were used: K1 (healthy control), K2 (fluconazole-induced, 0.9% NaCl), K3 (Minoxidil), K4 (100 µL hypoxia-induced MSC exosomes), and K5 (200 µL hypoxia-induced MSC exosomes). Skin samples were collected on day 15 post-treatment for analysis of TGF-β and PDGF levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Based on the analysis, the highest levels of TGF-β and PDGF were found in K1, followed by K5 and K4, while the lowest levels were observed in K2. This study finds that the single-dose injection of 200 µl of EH-MSCs daily for 14 days significantly increases the levels of TGF-β and PDGF in the skin, which contributes to improved hair growth. This study assumes that TGF-β and PDGF potentially improve hair growth through immunomodulation and a pro-angiogenic mechanism. These findings suggest that hypoxia-induced MSC exosomes represent a promising therapeutic strategy for alopecia and may be developed broadly for regenerative medicine targeting chronic inflammation-based skin disorders. However, further studies are needed to explore more about various cytokine and their function that relevance for alopecia and other inflammation-related skin conditions.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

biosaintifika

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry

Description

Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education {PISSN 2085-191X| EISSN 2338-7610} published scientific papers on the results of biology and biology education research {see Focus and Scope}. Editor accepts the article has not been published in other media with the writing format as listed on ...