Effect of Adenovirus-Mediated Expression of Sonic Hedgehog Gene on Hair Regrowth in Mice With Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia

In the 2001 study, researchers found that adenovirus-mediated expression of the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) gene significantly accelerated hair regrowth in mice with chemotherapy-induced alopecia. The study included two age groups of mice, 7-week-old and 3-week-old, both of which had alopecia induced by cyclophosphamide. The mice were treated with an adenovirus vector expressing the Shh gene (AdShh) or a control vector (AdNull). In the 7-week-old group, all five AdShh-treated mice showed large, anagen-phase hair follicles with normal melanin distribution, while none of the control mice did. In the 3-week-old group, 19 out of 22 AdShh-treated mice experienced accelerated hair follicle recovery, significantly more than the control group. The study concluded that enhanced Shh gene expression could be a potential strategy for promoting hair follicle regrowth after chemotherapy-induced hair loss.