Protective Effect of Korean Red Ginseng Against Chemotherapeutic Drug-Induced Premature Catagen Development Assessed With Human Hair Follicle Organ Culture Model

The study explored the potential of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) to protect against chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) by using an in vitro human hair follicle organ culture model. The hair follicles were exposed to 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC), which typically causes hair loss by harming hair matrix keratinocytes. The findings indicated that 4-HC not only inhibited hair growth and caused premature catagen phase but also led to increased apoptosis and altered expression of apoptosis-related proteins. KRG pretreatment was found to counteract these effects by maintaining hair growth, preventing premature catagen development, and normalizing protein expression levels. The study suggested that KRG could mitigate the effects of 4-HC on hair follicles by modulating apoptosis-related protein expression, potentially offering a protective effect against CIA. However, the document did not specify the number of hair follicles used in the study.