MSU researchers create gel to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Researchers at Michigan State University have developed a shampoo-like gel that may help protect hair from falling out during chemotherapy.

Bryan Smith, an associate professor in the College of Engineering and a member of MSU’s Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, has created a gel with the consistency of shampoo that he hopes will protect patients’ hair throughout cancer treatment.

“This is a need on the personal side of cancer care that, as an engineer, I didn’t fully recognize until I began interviewing cancer physicians and former cancer patients about it. Once I understood, it became clear to me that better solutions are very important to many cancer patients’ quality of life,” said Smith.

The gel is a hydrogel, which absorbs sig