Topical Botanical Extract for Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia
April 2013
in “
Cancer Research
”
TLDR A botanical extract was found to be a safe treatment that may prevent hair loss in chemotherapy patients.
In 2013, a study was conducted on 19 male subjects with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) to test the effectiveness of a botanical extract (the Product) in managing chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). The Product was applied topically for 1.5 and 3 months, and the anagen/telogen (A/T) hair ratio was measured at day 1, day 44, and day 86. The A/T ratio increased from 2.96 to 4.35 over the study period. Additionally, the fraction of Bcl-2+ cells, which are anti-apoptotic and thus prevent premature hair loss, increased by 89% in AGA subjects after the Product application. No adverse events were reported. The study concluded that the Product is a safe Bcl-2 up-regulating agent that can prevent premature hair loss in AGA subjects and may be used as a topical management for CIA in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.