Beihang University team's Detangle electric comb raises hair regrowth in mice to nearly 100%

Researchers at Beihang University in Beijing, together with colleagues from Anhui Medical University, Peking University Cancer Hospital and City University of Hong Kong, have described a comb-shaped bioelectronic system named Detangle. It is intended for treating androgenetic alopecia during daily hair combing, according to a paper published in Nature Communications on 3 November 2026. nature.comNature Communicationsnature.comOpen source ↗ In a mouse model of androgenetic alopecia, the authors report that hair restoration efficacy rose from ~70% with conventional topical minoxidil to nearly 100% within one month.

The authors note that androgenetic alopecia affects over 1.5 billion people and causes progressive hair loss with psychological and quality-of-life burdens. Oral medications cause systemic side effects, while topical applications have limited efficacy.

Comb design and electric field

The teeth of the comb carry electrodes of different heights and integrated drug-loading modules. According to the authors, this arrangement produces an enhanced electric field that penetrates up to ~9 times deeper into hair follicle regions than conventional external application.

Stimulation and delivery to follicular cells

The authors show that the localized field does two things at once. It electrostimulates the hair follicles, and it electrodelivers two agents into follicular cells: a plasmid encoding vascular endothelial growth factor A and an siRNA targeting steroid 5-alpha-reductase 2. nature.comNature Communicationsnature.comOpen source ↗ The aim of this combination is to promote angiogenesis and suppress androgen synthesis.

The authors attribute the effect to synergistic regulation of cellular metabolism. They conclude that Detangle is safe and effective for deep tissue delivery in dermatology.

The results described in the paper come from a mouse model. The material contains no data on use in humans.