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5/20/2023 Stress hormone measured in hair predicts who is likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseasesStudy in over 6,300 individuals finds hair cortisone levels were the strongest predictor of future cardiovascular disease in those aged 57 years or younger New research being presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Dublin, Ireland (17-20 May) suggests that glucocorticoid levels (a class of steroid hormones secreted as a response to stress) present in the hair of individuals may indicate which of them are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the future. “There is a tremendous amount of evidence that chronic stress is a serious factor in determining overall health. Now our findings indicate that people with higher long-term hair glucocorticoid levels appear significantly more likely to develop heart and circulatory diseases in particular,” says lead author Dr Eline van der Valk from Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Long-term levels of scalp hair cortisol and its inactive form, hair cortisone, are increasingly used biomarkers that represent the cumulative exposure to glucocorticoids over the previous months. There is a large body of evidence indicating that the stress hormones cortisol and cortisone affect the body’s metabolism and fat distribution. But data on these stress hormone levels and their effect on long-term CVD outcomes is scarce. To find out more, researchers analysed cortisol and cortisone levels in 6,341 hair samples from adult men and women (aged 18 and older) enrolled in Lifelines—a multi-generational study including over 167,000 participants from the northern population of the Netherlands. Study participants' hair was tested, and participants were followed for an average 5-7 years to assess the long-term relationship between cortisol and cortisone levels and incident CVD. During this time, there were 133 CVD events. Researchers adjusted for factors known to be linked with increased risk of CVD including age, sex, waist circumference, smoking, blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that people with higher long-term cortisone levels were twice as likely to experience a cardiovascular event like a stroke or heart attack, and this rose to over three times as likely in those aged 57 years or younger. However, in the oldest half of CVD cases (aged 57 and older), hair cortisone and cortisol were not strongly linked to incident CVD. “Our hope is that hair analysis may ultimately prove useful as a test that can help clinicians determine which individuals might be at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Then, perhaps in the future targeting the effects of stress hormones in the body could become a new treatment target,” says Professor Elisabeth van Rossum, the principal investigator of the study from Erasmus University Medical Center. The authors acknowledge several limitations of the study, including that it is observational and does not prove that stress causes CVD but indicate that they are linked. They also note that most participants self-identified as white and were from one area of the Netherlands so the findings might not be generalisable to other populations. And although age, sex, waist circumference, smoking, blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes were adjusted for in the analysis, there may be other unmeasured factors that may have influenced the results. For interviews with article author Eline van der Valk, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, the Netherlands please email [email protected] or contact the Erasmus MC press office at [email protected] T) +31 1070 33289 Alternative contact in the ECO Press Room: Tony Kirby T) + 44(0)7834 385827 E) [email protected] Notes to editors: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by Elisabeth Foundation; Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research NWO. This press release is based on oral abstract 14.06 at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO). All accepted abstracts have been extensively peer reviewed by the congress selection committee. There is no full paper at this stage, but the authors are happy to answer your questions. The research has not yet been submitted to a medical journal for publication. from EurekAlert
Following news of a breakthrough in the mechanisms behind hair greying, Cosmetics Business rounds up its edit of anti-greying active ingredients  Repeated shed and growth leads to melanocyte stem cells becoming stuck in the hair follicle bulge Grey hair is a hallmark of ageing, but one that is increasingly being embraced. Recent years have witnessed stars like Andie MacDowell and Sarah Jessica Parker celebrating the changing colour of their hair. Meanwhile, brands developed specifically for the needs of silver strands, like White Hot Hair, Arey and Silvina London are attracting attention. In November, for example, Arey closed a funding round of US$4.15m – more than double that of its original $2m target. But what causes hair to go grey? New research from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, published in the journal Nature on 19 April, suggests the process is linked to ‘stuck’ stem cells. The study looked at melanocyte stem cells, found in the skin of mice but also humans. Hair colour, the scientists said, is controlled by whether non-functional but continually multiplying pools of these stem cells within hair follicles get the signal to become mature cells which make the protein pigments responsible for colour. The study showed that melanocyte stem cells are remarkably plastic; this means that during normal hair growth, such cells continually move back and forth on the maturity axis as they transit between compartments of the developing hair follicle. It is inside these compartments where the cells are exposed to different levels of maturity-influencing protein signals. The research team found that the cells transform between their most primitive stem state and the next stage of their maturation (the transit-amplifying state) depending on their location. As hair ages, sheds and repeatedly grows back, increasing numbers of melanocyte stem cells get stuck in the stem cell compartment called the hair follicle bulge. They remain in the hair follicle bulge, do not mature into the transit-amplifying state and do not travel back to their original location in the germ compartment, where Wnt proteins (signalling molecules) would have encouraged them to regenerate into pigment cells. “Our study adds to our basic understanding of how melanocyte stem cells work to colour hair,” said the study’s lead investigator, Qi Sun, a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone Health. “The newfound mechanisms raise the possibility that the same fixed positioning of melanocyte stem cells may exist in humans. “If so, it presents a potential pathway for reversing or preventing the greying of human hair by helping jammed cells to move again between developing hair follicle compartments.” Such plasticity is not present in other self-regenerating stem cells, such as those making up the hair follicle itself. This, said the researchers, helps explain, in part, why hair can keep growing even while its pigmentation fails. The study also found that stuck melanocyte stem cells ceased their regenerative behaviour as they were no longer exposed to much Wnt signalling. In contrast, melanocyte stem cells that continued to move back and forth between the follicle bulge and hair germ retained their ability to regenerate as melanocyte stem cells, mature into melanocytes and produce pigment over the entire study period of two years. “It is the loss of chameleon-like function in melanocyte stem cells that may be responsible for greying and loss of hair colour,” said study senior investigator Mayumi Ito, a professor in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology and Department of Cell Biology at NYU Langone Health. “These findings suggest that melanocyte stem cell motility and reversible differentiation are key to keeping hair healthy and coloured,” said Ito. In good news for those consumers not ready to embrace their greys, the team plans to investigate means of restoring the motility of melanocyte stem cells, or of physically moving them back to their germ compartment, where they can produce pigment. from Cosmetics Business
Managing Chemotherapy-Induced Hair Loss Many survivors see significant hair changes during cancer treatment, leaving a difficult reminder when they look in the mirror.  Chemotherapy-induced alopecia, or hair loss, is a common side effect of many chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Chemotherapy works by targeting rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells. However, hair follicles also divide rapidly and are therefore affected by the treatment. As a result, hair loss can occur anywhere hair grows –– on the scalp, face and body. Not everyone who receives chemo will experience hair loss, but for those who do, it can be distressing. For many people, hair is an important aspect of self-expression and identity, and losing it can be emotionally difficult. As she recalls her experience with chemotherapy for breast cancer, Lauren Thorse remembers that when she was told she would need chemotherapy, “my first thought was that my hair is gonna go.” As someone who reports struggling for years with self-confidence, Thorse, of Naperville, Illinois, found the impending hair loss upsetting. Having always had long blond hair, seeing it fall out in clumps and finding it around the house led her to decide to shave it. With the support of her father, and her mother and sister via FaceTime, her husband shaved her hair off. After finally coming to terms with losing her hair, she then had to wrap her head around the fact that “it’s going to take years to get back to where it was.” Cancer survivor Jessica Gardner of Youngstown, Pennsylvania, also took matters into her own hands when she began losing her hair from chemotherapy. After being diagnosed with breast cancer while 33 weeks pregnant and undergoing a bilateral mastectomy not long after having a cesarean section, she felt that she wanted to have control over something — and that was her hair loss. While livestreaming the shaving of her head, she felt as if she was getting some of her power and control back. Once their hair was gone, both Thorse and Gardner felt frustrated over the lack of resources that were available to women their age, in their early 30s, with young children. They found that many of the resources were for older women and didn’t quite meet them where they were in life. Thorse recalls, “I felt like the wigs I was directed to were more for older women.”  Because Gardner found local support groups difficult to connect with, she created the group Cancer Is a Mother on Facebook. She found that this was a way to do something positive with her cancer diagnosis. “It was something I needed to do personally to feel better about cancer and where I was as a survivor.” Hair loss can be gradual or sudden, and it can begin within a few weeks of starting chemotherapy treatment. Some patients may experience thinning of the hair, whereas others may experience complete baldness. In some cases, hair may only thin or fall out in certain areas, creating patchy hair loss. This is most often temporary, and the hair will grow back once chemotherapy treatment is completed. However, in rare cases, some patients may experience long-term or permanent hair loss. The risk of either of those is generally low, but it can depend on the type and dose of chemotherapy used. Certain chemotherapies, such as taxanes, are associated with a higher risk of long-term or permanent hair loss. Now that a full year has gone by since completing chemotherapy, Thorse states that although her hair is growing, she doesn’t look like she used to. “Every now and then I do mourn for myself if I do see a picture. It’s been a year, but I still have a long way to go.” Chemotherapy isn’t the only cancer treatment that can affect hair. Hormone therapy for cancer treatment can target hormones that help cancer cells grow, such as estrogen and progesterone. It can be used to block the production of these hormones, or block the receptors that respond to them, or lower their levels. This changes the balance of hormones in the body and causes hair thinning. This also causes hair follicles to shrink, leading to thinner, weaker hair. Lisa Opalweski, of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, has experienced hair loss multiple times during her cancer journey. Initially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, she notes, “Yes, I knew I was going to lose my hair; yes, I was going to run around bald for a while. I knew it was going to come back.” After being diagnosed with metastatic cancer in 2019, she has been treated with hormonal therapy and targeted therapy. “I used to have extremely thick, curly hair. Now I have baby thin hair.” Wigs and hairpieces can be used as a temporary solution for hair loss. Many cancer centers and support groups have resources for obtaining wigs or hairpieces at little or no cost. However, there are now ways to help manage hair loss through scalp cooling. Cooling the scalp during chemotherapy treatment decreases blood flow to the scalp and reduces the amount of chemotherapy drugs reaching the hair follicles. By reducing the amount of chemotherapy that reaches the hair follicles, patients experience less hair loss. According to the results of one study led by Dr. Julie Nangia, a breast oncologist and an assistant professor of medicine at the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center and Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, women receiving chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer were enrolled in a study to evaluate the effectiveness of scalp cooling on hair loss. Of those who underwent scalp cooling, 50.5% had some preservation of their hair after four cycles of chemotherapy. In those who did not use scalp cooling, no one experienced hair preservation. There are currently a couple of ways to cool the scalp. One way is through the use of cold caps, which uses tight-fitting caps placed on the head to cool the scalp during chemo- therapy infusion. The caps are stored in a special freezer and must be changed throughout the infusion to keep the scalp at a sufficiently cold temperature. In order to successfully use the caps, a patient will need to have help to change the caps at the instructed intervals during treatment. Another method of scalp cooling is through a device that circulates coolant through the cap to keep the scalp at a consistently cool temperature. The hat is placed once at the beginning of treatment and the coolant will continue to keep the temperature consistent. According to Dr. Nangia, cooling the scalp starts 30 minutes before chemotherapy and the cap continues to be worn until 30 to 90 minutes after chemotherapy has been completed. It is also important to practice good hair care with scalp cooling therapy. This can include using a gentle shampoo, avoiding heat styling tools, and being gentle when combing or brushing the hair. Dr. Nangia notes that the biggest barrier to scalp cooling is the cost. If insurance does not cover the therapy, out-of-pocket costs can be over $2,000. She states that the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, which provides guidelines for cancer treatment and supportive care, has added scalp cooling to these guidelines as a method to be considered for those who may experience chemotherapy-induced alopecia. With this recommendation from the network, Dr. Nangia hopes that insurance companies will start covering the cost of this therapy so more patients can benefit. The rate of hair regrowth can vary for each patient, but typically hair starts to regrow within a few weeks to a few months after completing chemotherapy treatment. Regrowth may be slow at first, but it should become more rapid over time. It can take several months to a year for hair to fully regrow and regain its previous texture and color. In some cases, hair may not fully regrow or may regrow with a different texture or color. Chemo curls, also known as “chemo waves,” is a term used to describe the changes in hair texture that some patients experience after chemotherapy. The term refers to the curls, waves or kinks that can develop in the hair as it regrows. This can be caused by the chemotherapy treatment and the changes in the hair structure. It is not exclusive to scalp hair and can occur on hair all over the body. The new hair growth is usually soft and thin at first, and it may take several months for the hair to return to its pre-treatment thickness and texture. Some people may experience complete regrowth of their hair, whereas others may have patchy or thin hair growth. It also might take one to two years for hair to appear as it was before chemotherapy, and this can vary from person to person. Overall, hair growth after chemo is a gradual process, and it can take time for hair to fully recover. Many members of the health care team are involved during cancer treatment. However, one area that is often overlooked and underutilized during this time is dermatology. Dr. Adam Friedman, professor and chair of dermatology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., knows what dermatologists can offer patients experiencing hair loss during cancer treatment, but they are not often a part of the cancer experience. He suggests prevention of hair loss through scalp cooling may offer the best results if someone is experi- encing complete hair loss, but there are other options for those with thinning hair that may be helpful. Applying topical minoxidil to the scalp can keep the hair in a constant state of growth. Friedman notes that it must be used consistently for best results and can be difficult to apply. He cautions against the use of supplements unless they are specifically approved by the health care team. Some supplements, such as biotin, can interfere with some blood tests, and may not be safe for some patients to use. He also notes that the off-label use of Latisse (bimatoprost) can be helpful for regrowth of eyelashes and eyebrows after chemotherapy. One of the most important things voiced by cancer survivors is that they want hair loss to be a topic that is brought up and discussed, and not glossed over, during visits. Megan Harman, FNP-C, with SSM Health in Lake St. Louis, understands this. She understands that hair loss can be a harsh reality the patient with cancer has to live with. It can be difficult for patients to fully prepare mentally and emotionally for hair loss until it happens. When talking with patients during this time, she often directs them toward various resources and allows them the time to voice their feelings about their situation. It is notable that much of the research about alopecia focuses on breast cancer survivors in comparison with other cancer survivors. One reason is that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and the second most common cancer overall, so a large number of patients undergo chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Additionally, hair loss is a common and highly visible side effect of chemotherapy treatment, and it can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. Breast cancer survivors, especially women, tend to be more concerned about hair loss due to chemotherapy as hair loss affects their appearance and self-esteem. Another reason is that breast cancer research has traditionally been well funded, which has allowed for more research to be conducted on the effects of chemotherapy on hair loss in breast cancer survivors. This has resulted in a greater understanding of the mechanisms behind hair loss and the development of new hair loss prevention and treatment methods specifically tailored for patients with breast cancer. For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters here. from CureToday
 Newly developed non-allergenic hair dyes offer effective hair coloring without the safety risks of traditional permanent hair dyes. A bad dye job is bad enough on its own, but an itchy and irritating allergic reaction to it is even worse. And people who become allergic to hair dye can develop reactions to many other common substances, transforming a simple cosmetic treatment into a big problem. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering have developed a range of permanent hair dyes that avoid the allergenic properties of traditional formulations. When applied as hair color, paraphenylenediamine (PPD) — a common ingredient in permanent dyes — undergoes a chemical reaction that turns the hair a dark color that won’t wash out over time. This reaction, however, can also produce compounds that bind proteins in the user’s skin, causing allergic responses, such as eczema and facial swelling. PPD can also sensitize users to other substances, including a compound commonly found in sunscreens and cosmetics, as well as common pigment and ink compounds. Alternatives have been proposed, but they generally are not water-soluble, and the safety of some of the compounds are not well understood. Gopalakrishnan Venkatesan and colleagues wanted to create new alternatives that would avoid the problems of PPD while still providing permanent hair coloring. The team prepared seven dyes based on PPD with modifications to the aromatic amine core. The modifications were chosen to potentially make the compounds less reactive toward proteins and less able to be absorbed into skin. All seven compounds permanently colored hair samples, producing a range of hues from rosy pinks to deep blacks that did not fade, even after three weeks of daily washing. The team then examined the dyes in a test commonly used in the cosmetics industry to determine if a product is a skin sensitizer. Five of the modified dyes were “weak” sensitizers, whereas PPD was “moderate.” Another test showed that the new compounds generated a reduced inflammatory response in cells compared to PPD. These results suggest that the new dyes can effectively color hair while also avoiding the potential allergenic and sensitization risks of more traditional ones. The authors acknowledge funding from the National University of Singapore. from EurekAlert! and ScienceDaily
Human hair can be a tool for measuring the toxicity of a city, according to London-based architects Deborah Lopez and Hadin Charbel, who have also created a textile made from hair. Through their research studio, Pareid, Lopez and Charbel have been analysing hair samples as a way of mapping the levels of pollution across different areas of Bangkok. Samples containing larger quantities of heavy metals indicate higher levels of environmental toxicity.  Pareid has analysed the toxicity of hundreds of hair samples "Pollution is becoming a gigantic environmental problem," Lopez told Dezeen. "We were interested in the capacity of the human body to become a sensor to this, to reflect and record the environment where you live, where you breathe, and where you eat and drink."  The research began with an installation at Bangkok Design Week in 2019, which functioned as a test station The project, called Follicle, started out as an investigation into the potential of hair as an architectural material. Research suggests that around 6.5 million kilos of waste human hair is produced in the UK alone every year, so Lopez and Charbel felt this material could be an untapped resource for sustainable construction. However, after learning about the presence of heavy metals in hair, the pair realised they could also use the substance as a research tool in cities with dangerously high levels of pollution.  The installation was a space where people could cut off a small amount of hair and submit it for analysis They set up their first test station in Bangkok, a city that hit the headlines in early 2019 after high levels of smog forced all of its 437 schools to close. The architects created an installation at Bangkok Design Week 2019, inviting visitors to voluntarily cut off a small amount of their hair and submit it for analysis, along with details about their day-to-day environment. As the hair toxicity is affected by lifestyle choices – smoking and dying your hair both led to increased metal content, for instance – visitors were asked to also provide some anonymous information about themselves.  Participants were anonymous but were asked to provide some details about themselves and their day-to-day environment Although there was some reluctance, Lopez and Charbel were surprised by how many people were willing to donate their hair. They ended up with hundreds of samples. The toxicology analysis suffered long delays, as a result of the Covid-19 crisis unfolding at that time, but when they finally received the results they were able to see significant links between certain types of environment and certain metals. For example, people who lived near major highways were found to have a notably higher volume of arsenic in their hair. "From that moment we were able to link these two stories together, hair toxicity and pollution in the context of Bangkok," said Charbel.  Pareid has used the finding to create a "toxi-cartography" of Bangkok The architects have been using the information gathered to produce a "toxi-cartography", an interactive 3D map of the city that charts the varying toxicity across different areas. This is available to view on a dedicated website. The pair are currently presenting their research within the Spanish Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale.  Lopez and Charbel have also developed a hair textile, as a separate part of the project Going forward, Lopez and Charbel hope to be able to set up test stations in more cities, so that they can start to build up a wider understanding of the links between urban conditions and hair toxicity. At the same time, the architects are also continuing to explore ways that waste hair can be used in building construction. They have used a felting machine to create a hair textile, which has featured in both the Bangkok and Venice installations. Lopez suggests that this felt could be used as an insulating material, or as some kind of acoustic panelling.  An object designed to encapsulate the research is currently on show at the Venice Architecture Biennale The main obstacle to overcome is the stigma surrounding the cleanliness of hair, Lopez said. "We find it interesting that we feel comfortable with the hair of non-humans, with animal fur, but we feel so disgusted by our own hair," she stated. "We want to find a way to use this material to create something that people feel attracted to." Human hair has been used in a number of recent design projects, including designer Céline Arnould's ceramic vessels cast from the hair of her friends and family and a collection of bricks made from hair and manure. from dezeen Project credits:
Architects: Pareid Architects (Deborah Lopez and Hadin Charbel) Collaborators: Konlawat Meklalit, Noppa-on Plidtookpai, Pitisuda Sukumalchantra, Phatsorn Mutanone. Support: Matter of Trust, Embajada de España en Bangkok, Bangkok Design Week 2019 and TCDC Photography and images Pareid & Visut Innadda Hair analysis: Mery Malandrino, Alberto Salomone, Marco Vincenti (Department of Chemistry - University of Turin, Italy) Website design: Pareid Architects (Déborah Lopez and Hadin Charbel) Website development & Data Visualization: Sherif Tarabishy Sound design: Donnie Brosh |
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