Michigan State University researchers have developed a hydrogel that could reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss by protecting hair follicles.
WASHINGTON: A research team at Michigan State University has developed a promising new treatment that could help chemotherapy patients keep their hair during cancer therapy. The innovation, described as a shampoo-like hydrogel, has shown significant potential in reducing hair loss in animal studies.
Published in the journal Biomaterials Advances, the study reveals that the hydrogel delivers vasoconstrictor drugs directly to the scalp. These drugs narrow blood vessels in the area, thereby reducing the amount of chemotherapy medicine that reaches and damages hair follicles — the primary cause of chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
Currently, the only approved treatment for preventing hair loss during chemotherapy is the use of cooling caps, which are both costly and associated with several side effects. Researchers believe the gel may serve as a safer and more practical alternative.
The hydrogel works by absorbing water and gradually releasing lidocaine and adrenaline, which together help protect hair follicles from toxic exposure. In trials, this resulted in what scientists described as a “dramatic reduction” in hair loss.
According to Bryan Smith, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan State University, the project was inspired by conversations with cancer patients who highlighted the emotional and psychological toll of hair loss during treatment. “There is a clear unmet need for better solutions,” Smith said.
The gel is also designed with user convenience in mind. It responds to temperature changes: at body temperature, it thickens to cling to the scalp, while at cooler temperatures, it becomes thin and can be washed out easily.
If successful in further clinical trials, this hydrogel could provide cancer patients with a new, affordable, and non-invasive way to preserve their hair during treatment — addressing one of the most visible and distressing side effects of chemotherapy.
