Wound Healing Protects Against Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia in Young Rats via Up-Regulating Interleukin-1β-Mediated Signaling

In a study conducted in 2017, researchers discovered that wound healing can protect against chemotherapy-induced alopecia (hair loss) in young rats. This protection was linked to the up-regulation of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a proinflammatory cytokine. The study involved 100 neonatal rats divided into 10 groups. The researchers found that skin wounding significantly increased IL-1β signaling, which was both necessary and sufficient for protecting against hair loss caused by chemotherapy. When IL-1β was administered alone to unwounded rats, it provided local protection against hair loss, while neutralizing IL-1β removed the protection provided by wounding. The study concluded that wound healing changes the skin's cytokine environment to an IL-1β-dominated state, slowing hair follicle growth progression and making the hair follicles resistant to chemotherapy agents.