New Technique Could Stop Chemo-Related Hair Loss, Offering Hope To Cancer Patients
The new study found that cooling the scalp to an optimal temperature of 18 degrees Celsius can effectively prevent follicle damage. Additionally, applying antioxidant-rich lotions-some ingredients found in red grapes-further boosts the protective effect. This dual approach has been described by researchers as a "milestone" in preserving hair during cancer treatment and could revolutionise patient care in oncology clinics.
Dr Nik Georgopoulos, associate professor of cell biology at Sheffield Hallam, described hair loss as "the face of cancer".
"Our findings suggest that the combination of cooling and antioxidants could be a game-changer in preventing chemotherapy-induced hair loss and could make a real difference to the lives of cancer patients worldwide."
"It highlights the potential for a more effective and accessible solution to a common and highly distressing side effect of cancer treatment. By improving the quality of life for these patients, this method represents a significant advancement in supportive cancer care," he said.
Researchers published their findings in Frontiers in Pharmacology, where they isolated hair follicles from the scalp and grew them in a lab setting.
The team then treated these follicles with chemotherapy and discovered that cooling the cells helped protect them from damage, according to Dr Georgopoulos.
According to a news release by Sheffield Hallam University, approximately 65% of people undergoing chemotherapy experience hair loss. It is one of the most feared side effects of chemotherapy, with 47% of female cancer patients considering it the most traumatic aspect of their treatment.
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NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
New Technique Could Stop Chemo-Related Hair Loss, Offering Hope To Cancer Patients
A promising new method may offer hope to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy who want to retain their hair. Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University have identified a powerful combination of scalp cooling and antioxidant treatment that significantly reduces hair loss. Scalp cooling, already used through "cold caps", restricts blood flow to the scalp, reducing the amount of chemotherapy drugs reaching hair follicles. The new study found that cooling the scalp to an optimal temperature of 18 degrees Celsius can effectively prevent follicle damage. Additionally, applying antioxidant-rich lotions-some ingredients found in red grapes-further boosts the protective effect. This dual approach has been described by researchers as a "milestone" in preserving hair during cancer treatment and could revolutionise patient care in oncology clinics. Dr Nik Georgopoulos, associate professor of cell biology at Sheffield Hallam, described hair loss as "the face of cancer". "Our findings suggest that the combination of cooling and antioxidants could be a game-changer in preventing chemotherapy-induced hair loss and could make a real difference to the lives of cancer patients worldwide." "It highlights the potential for a more effective and accessible solution to a common and highly distressing side effect of cancer treatment. By improving the quality of life for these patients, this method represents a significant advancement in supportive cancer care," he said. Researchers published their findings in Frontiers in Pharmacology, where they isolated hair follicles from the scalp and grew them in a lab setting. The team then treated these follicles with chemotherapy and discovered that cooling the cells helped protect them from damage, according to Dr Georgopoulos. According to a news release by Sheffield Hallam University, approximately 65% of people undergoing chemotherapy experience hair loss. It is one of the most feared side effects of chemotherapy, with 47% of female cancer patients considering it the most traumatic aspect of their treatment.
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First Post
2 days ago
- First Post
How a new 'milestone' technique could help chemo patients from losing their hair
Scientists at Sheffield Hallam University say they have developed a 'powerful double weapon' against hair loss caused by chemotherapy in cancer patients. Researchers say the treatment combines scalp cooling caps with an antioxidant-rich lotion, which has ingredients like those found in red grapes read more Developed by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University, the new method builds on existing scalp cooling technology by adding a topical antioxidant lotion to the mix. Image courtesy: Paxman Scalp Cooling For many cancer patients, hair loss during chemotherapy is one of the most emotionally difficult parts of treatment. For most patients, maintaining their hair is not just about vanity –it's about holding on to a part of themselves—their identity, confidence, and a sense of control in the middle of something so uncertain. That's why scalp cooling caps, also known as cold caps, have become increasingly common in cancer wards. Now, scientists believe they may have found something even better. A new approach, described as a 'powerful double weapon', combines scalp cooling with an antioxidant-rich lotion, using ingredients like those found in red grapes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, how does it work? Here's what we know. Why does chemotherapy cause hair loss? Hair loss during chemotherapy isn't just a side effect, it's often what makes the experience of cancer visible. Dr Nik Georgopoulos, associate professor of cell biology and a Transforming Lives fellow at Sheffield Hallam University, calls it the 'face of cancer.' 'The reason why people get hair loss is because, at the base of the hair follicles, there are these rapidly dividing cells that are actually feeling the toxicity of chemotherapy drugs,' he explained. 'Chemotherapy drugs are drugs that kill rapidly dividing cancer cells, but they cannot discriminate between cancer cells and rapidly dividing normal cells in the body,' he added. 'At the base of our hair follicles are these rapidly dividing cells, or keratinocytes, that constantly grow and they end up forming the actual hair.' Because of this, many patients begin to notice thinning or shedding within just a few weeks of starting treatment. Chemotherapy drugs are drugs that kill rapidly dividing cancer cells, but they cannot discriminate between cancer cells and rapidly dividing normal cells in the body. Image for Representation. One of the existing solutions to help reduce this is the scalp cooling cap. These cold caps lower the temperature of the scalp during chemo sessions, narrowing blood vessels and reducing the amount of toxic medication that reaches the follicles. This slows down the activity of hair-producing cells, giving them a better chance of surviving treatment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Though cold caps have helped many patients preserve some of their hair, they're not equally effective for everyone. Results can vary depending on the chemotherapy drugs used, how long the cooling is applied, and even differences in scalp shape or hair thickness. What does the new treatment do differently? Developed by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University, the new method builds on existing scalp cooling technology by adding a topical antioxidant lotion to the mix. The lotion contains compounds like resveratrol and N-acetyl cysteine, both known for their antioxidant properties. Interestingly, resveratrol is also found in red grapes and has long been studied for its potential health benefits. In their study, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, scientists isolated hair follicles from the scalp and grew them in lab conditions. They were then treated with chemotherapy drugs to mimic real-world effects. Dr Nik Georgopoulos, who led the research, explained why the added lotion could make a difference. 'For some patients, cooling works, and for others it doesn't,' he said. 'Because some heads—I call them stubborn—they don't cool enough.' By adding the antioxidant lotion during the cooling process, the team saw promising results in the lab. 'We form a powerful double weapon that, based on our results in the lab, showed us it can transform the ability of cooling to protect,' Georgopoulos said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, he clarified that the lotion on its own wouldn't be enough. 'The antioxidant is not 'powerful enough' when used alone,' he said. 'The reason for that is cooling does multiple amazing things at the same time.' The research found that cooling the scalp to 18 degrees Celsius helps prevent hair follicle damage, while milder cooling—around 26 degrees Celsius—wasn't as effective. Combining the right temperature with the antioxidant blend improved follicle protection significantly. The team also collaborated with Paxman Scalp Cooling, a company that produces cooling caps for chemotherapy patients. These caps circulate coolant through a fitted cap, worn by patients starting 30 minutes before chemo, during treatment, and for up to 90 minutes afterwards. Scientists are now finalising which antioxidants to use in the topical product for future testing. Georgopoulos believes this combination could not only enhance hair preservation during treatment but also speed up hair regrowth afterwards. 'Our ongoing work will ensure that efficacy is as high as possible,' he said, 'with the belief that a topical agent will not only dramatically enhance the efficacy of scalp cooling, but also significantly accelerates hair recovery post chemotherapy.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With input from agencies
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Burning of fossil fuels caused 1,500 deaths in recent European heat wave, study estimates
Washington: Human-caused climate change is responsible for killing about 1,500 people in last week's European heat wave , a first-of-its-kind rapid study found. Those 1,500 people "have only died because of climate change, so they would not have died if it would not have been for our burning of oil, coal and gas in the last century," said study co-author Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College in London. Scientists at Imperial and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine used peer-reviewed techniques to calculate that about 2,300 people in 12 cities likely died from the heat in last week's bout of high temperatures, with nearly two-thirds of them dying because of the extra degrees that climate change added to the natural summer warmth. Past rapid attribution studies have not gone beyond evaluating climate change's role in meteorological effects such as extra heat, flooding or drought. This study goes a step further in directly connecting coal, oil and natural gas use to people dying. "Heat waves are silent killers and their health impact is very hard to measure," said co-author Gary Konstantinoudis, a biostatistician at Imperial College. "People do not understand the actual mortality toll of heat waves and this is because (doctors, hospitals and governments) do not report heat as an underlying cause of death" and instead attribute it to heart or lung or other organ problems. Of the 1,500 deaths attributed to climate change, the study found more than 1,100 were people 75 or older. Climate change made a heat wave hotter "It's summer, so it's sometimes hot," study lead author Ben Clarke of Imperial College said in a Tuesday news conference. "The influence of climate change has pushed it up by several degrees and what that does is it brings certain groups of people more into dangerous territory and that's what's important. That's what we really want to highlight here. For some people it's still warm fine weather but for now a huge sector of the population it's more dangerous." Researchers looked at June 23 to July 2 in London; Paris; Frankfurt, Germany; Budapest, Hungary; Zagreb, Croatia; Athens, Greece; Barcelona, Spain; Madrid; Lisbon, Portugal; Rome; Milan and Sassari, Italy. They found that except in Lisbon, the extra warmth from greenhouse gases added 2 to 4 degrees Celsius (3.6 to 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) to what would have been a more natural heat wave. London got the most at nearly 4 degrees (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit). Climate change only added about a degree to Lisbon's peak temperature, the study calculated, mostly because of the Atlantic Ocean's moderating effect, Otto said. That extra climate-change-caused heat added the most extra deaths in Milan, Barcelona and Paris and the least in Sassari, Frankfort and Lisbon, the study found. The 1,500 figure is the middle of the range of overall climate-related death estimates that go from about 1,250 to around 1,700. How scientists weigh climate change, calculate deaths Wednesday's study is not yet peer-reviewed. It is an extension of work done by an international team of scientists who do rapid attribution studies to search for global warming's fingerprints in the growing number of extreme weather events worldwide, and combine that with long-established epidemiological research that examines death trends that differ from what's considered normal. Researchers compared what the thermometers read last week to what computer simulations say would have happened in a world without planet-warming greenhouse gases from fossil fuel use. Health researchers then compared estimates - there are no solid figures yet - for heat deaths in what just happened to what heat deaths would be expected for each city without those extra degrees of warmth. There are long-established formulas that calculate excess deaths differing from normal based on location, demographics, temperatures and other factors and those are used, Otto and Konstantinoudis said. And health researchers take into account many variables like smoking and chronic diseases, so it's comparing similar people except for temperature so they know that's what's to blame, Konstantinoudis said. Studies in 2021 generally linked excess heat deaths to human-caused climate change and carbon emissions, but not specific events like last week's hot spell. A 2023 study in Nature Medicine estimated that since 2015, for every degree Celsius the temperature rises in Europe, there's an extra 18,547 summer heat deaths. Studies like Wednesday's are "ending the guessing game on the health harms from continued burning of fossil fuels," said Dr Jonathan Patz, director of the Centre for Health, Energy and Environmental Research at the University of Wisconsin. He was not part of the research but said it "combined the most up-to-date climate and health methods and found that every fraction of a degree of warming matters regarding extreme heat waves." Dr Courtney Howard, a Canadian emergency room physician and chair of the Global Climate and Health Alliance, said, "Studies like this help us see that reducing fossil fuel use is health care." (AP) SCY SCY
