A Dual-Species Plant-derived Extracellular Vesicle and Growth Factors Formulation for Hair and Scalp Care: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study
- 1Schweitzer Biotech Company, Taipei City, Taiwan
Abstract
Scalp dysregulation and hair shedding are common cosmetic concerns, driving an increasing demand for non-pharmaceutical interventions, including plant-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) and growth factors. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of topical formulations in 60 healthy adults over a 56-day period, monitoring scalp and hair parameters at Days 14, 28, 42, and 56 relative to baseline (Day 0). Group A: placebo; Group B: base (placebo containing 0.1% caffeine and panthenol); Group C: base + recombinant Fc-fusion long-acting insulin-like growth factor-1 (rIGF-1) and fibroblast growth factor-7 (rFGF-7); Group D: base + Centella asiatica (C. asiatica) + ginger EVs; and Group E: base + rIGF-1, rFGF-7, and C. asiatica + ginger EVs. Group E demonstrated rapid onset and significant superiority over the control and other treatment groups across all parameters. In scalp regulation, Group E achieved a highly significant, time-dependent reduction in excess sebum, reaching a 67% decrease by Day 56. Hair growth kinetics were significantly accelerated in Group E, with a mean cumulative length increase approaching 3.9 cm by Day 56, driven by a surge in mean weekly growth velocity to 1.4 cm/week. Group E also demonstrated the highest improvements in hair thickness (19 {micro}m) and hair density (17% increase) by Day 56. Finally, hair shedding was reduced by almost half by Day 56 in Group E. These results demonstrate that the formulation delivers a clinically superior non-pharmaceutical intervention for advanced hair and scalp revitalization.
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BibTeX
@misc{chang2026dualspecies,
title = {{A Dual-Species Plant-derived Extracellular Vesicle and Growth Factors Formulation for Hair and Scalp Care: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study}},
author = {T.-M. Chang and C.-C. Wu and H.-C. Huang and J.-Y. Lu and Y.-S. Chen and P.-L. Kao and W.-H. Tang and W.-J. Hsieh and L. T.-C. Liu and I. Percec and C. Chen and T.-Y. Kuo},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.07.26362401},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.07.26362401v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A Dual-Species Plant-derived Extracellular Vesicle and Growth Factors Formulation for Hair and Scalp Care: A Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study
AU - T.-M. Chang
AU - C.-C. Wu
AU - H.-C. Huang
AU - J.-Y. Lu
AU - Y.-S. Chen
AU - P.-L. Kao
AU - W.-H. Tang
AU - W.-J. Hsieh
AU - L. T.-C. Liu
AU - I. Percec
AU - C. Chen
AU - T.-Y. Kuo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/07
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.07.26362401
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.07.26362401v1
AB - Scalp dysregulation and hair shedding are common cosmetic concerns, driving an increasing demand for non-pharmaceutical interventions, including plant-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) and growth factors. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of topical formulations in 60 healthy adults over a 56-day period, monitoring scalp and hair parameters at Days 14, 28, 42, and 56 relative to baseline (Day 0). Group A: placebo; Group B: base (placebo containing 0.1% caffeine and panthenol); Group C: base + recombinant Fc-fusion long-acting insulin-like growth factor-1 (rIGF-1) and fibroblast growth factor-7 (rFGF-7); Group D: base + Centella asiatica (C. asiatica) + ginger EVs; and Group E: base + rIGF-1, rFGF-7, and C. asiatica + ginger EVs. Group E demonstrated rapid onset and significant superiority over the control and other treatment groups across all parameters. In scalp regulation, Group E achieved a highly significant, time-dependent reduction in excess sebum, reaching a 67% decrease by Day 56. Hair growth kinetics were significantly accelerated in Group E, with a mean cumulative length increase approaching 3.9 cm by Day 56, driven by a surge in mean weekly growth velocity to 1.4 cm/week. Group E also demonstrated the highest improvements in hair thickness (19 {micro}m) and hair density (17% increase) by Day 56. Finally, hair shedding was reduced by almost half by Day 56 in Group E. These results demonstrate that the formulation delivers a clinically superior non-pharmaceutical intervention for advanced hair and scalp revitalization.
ER -