A new shampoo-like gel developed by researchers at Michigan State University could assist in protecting cancer patients from a common adverse effect of chemotherapy: Hair loss.
The gel has been experimented on animal models, and is particularly designed to be applied on the scalp before starting the treatment and leave it for some time while the drugs keep circulating throughout your body.
Lead researcher and an associate professor of engineering of MSU’s Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Bryan Smith, stated:
“This unmet need of chemotherapy-induced alopecia appealed to me because it is adjacent to the typical needs in medicine, such as better treatments and earlier, more accurate diagnostics for cancer.”
Smith started to focus on this major issue after interviewing different oncologists and former patients regarding hair loss.
He stated, "Once I understood, it became clear to me that better solutions are very important to many cancer patients’ quality of life."
The gel is a water-based substance, particularly effective in protecting your hair follicles.
Additionally, it consists of lidocaine and adrenalone that limit the circulation to the scalp, preventing hair loss.
Notably, the gel frequently changes with temperatures. It stays thicker at body temperature, while at cooler temperature, its texture becomes thinner.
It is important to note that the research is currently in the early stages and has yet to be tested in humans.
