Cooling-Mediated Protection from Chemotherapy Drug-Induced Cytotoxicity in Human Keratinocytes by Inhibition of Cellular Drug Uptake
October 2020
in “
PLoS ONE
”
Studysummary This study found that scalp cooling markedly reduces cellular uptake of anthracycline drugs in human keratinocytes, partially explaining its protective effect against chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity.
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The study investigated the protective effects of cooling on human keratinocytes against cytotoxicity induced by chemotherapy drugs doxorubicin and epirubicin. Cooling the cells to 22°C and 18°C significantly reduced the cellular uptake of these drugs, with up to an 8-fold reduction, thereby decreasing their cytotoxic effects. The research demonstrated that cooling was more effective at 18°C, particularly in primary NHEK cells and outer root sheath keratinocyte (ORSK) cultures, which are relevant to hair follicles. These findings suggested that cooling could protect hair follicles from chemotherapy-induced damage, supporting the clinical efficacy of scalp cooling in preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia.