Photodynamic therapy Basic facts
An experimental method combining chemicals and radiation to induce
controlled hair loss or reduction.
Description
 A chemical is administered which selectively
pigments a follicle's regenerative structures.
Laser or other radiation selectively
targets the darkened cells while sparing surrounding tissue.
Advantages
Theoretically could target any hair
color.
Disadvantages
Experimental.
Commercial use is not expected in the
foreseeable future.
Quack claims
None at this time.
Background
Hair growth cells and cancer cells share some interesting characteristics:
rapidly dividing with multiple potentials for differentiation.
This is part of the reason many combinations of chemotherapy and
radiation result in hair loss: they disrupt the same kinds of
cellular activity. [1] It has been theorized that combinations
of these drugs and radiation may be used to induce a controlled
amount of hair loss or reduction.
History
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been useful in treating some types
of cancers. [2, 3, 4] Certain chemicals have been observed to
darken some types of skin cells, [5] which can then be selectively
targeted by laser to induce apoptosis or "programmed cell
death." [6] Recent data suggests PDT may have uses in the
treatment of acne as well. [7]
In addition, the presence or absence of certain genetic markers
in mice such as p53 have been observed to be "on-off"
switches for chemical/radiation induced hair loss. [8] Learning
to manipulate genetic markers like these in conjunction with chemicals
and/or radiation may lead to new hair reduction treatments.
Clinical data
This has been proposed as a theoretical possibility of hair removal,
and in 1995 an experimental clinical trial was performed. [9]
However, commercial use of the procedure is not expected in the
near future.
References
- Thatte U, Bagadey S, Dahanukar S. Modulation of programmed
cell death by medicinal plants.
Cellular and Molecular Biology (Noisy-le-grand) 2000 Feb;46(1):199-214.
- De Rosa FS, Bentley MV. Photodynamic therapy
of skin cancers: sensitizers, clinical studies and future directives. Pharmaceutical Research 2000 Dec;17(12):1447-55.
- Morton CA and others. Photodynamic therapy for large or multiple
patches of Bowen disease and basal cell carcinoma. Archives
of Dermatology. 2001 Mar;137(3):319-24.
- Guillen C and others. Photodynamic therapy for in situ squamous
cell carcinoma on chronic radiation dermatitis after photosensitization
with 5-aminolaevulinic acid. Journal of the European Academy
of Dermatology and Venereology. 2000 Jul;14(4):298-300.
- Kalka K, Merk H, Mukhtar H. Photodynamic therapy
in dermatology. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
2000 Mar;42(3):389-413; quiz 414-6.
- Granville DJ, McManus BM, Hunt DW. Photodynamic therapy:
shedding light on the biochemical pathways regulating porphyrin-mediated
cell death. Histology and Histopathology 2001 Jan;16(1):309-17.
- Hongcharu W and others. Topical ALA-photodynamic
therapy for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Journal of Investigative Dermatology
2000 Aug;115(2):183-92.
- Botchkarev VA and others. p53 is essential
for chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
Cancer Research 2000 Sep 15;60(18):5002-6.
- Grossman MC, Wimberely J, Dwyer P, Flotte
TJ, Anderson RR. PDT for hirsutism. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine
(supplement) 7 : 44,1995.
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