Venlafaxine reverses chemotherapy-induced alopecia through epithelial and dermal reprogramming at single-cell resolution. (PubMed, Biomed Pharmacother)
Cyclophosphamide treatment induces profound suppression of ribosomal biogenesis, cytoplasmic translation, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and Wnt-associated regenerative programs in hair matrix cells, indicating a functional metabolic arrest preceding overt epithelial cell loss...Topical venlafaxine and its active metabolite desvenlafaxine preserved follicular architecture, suppressed apoptosis, and restored hair shaft elongation in both mouse CIA models and human hair follicle organ culture. At single-cell resolution, venlafaxine reversed epithelial translational shutdown, reactivated differentiation and Wnt signaling programs, and attenuated fibroinflammatory remodeling, thereby restoring paracrine niche signaling and matrix cell proliferation. Collectively, these findings redefine CIA as a disorder characterized by coordinated epithelial functional arrest and dermal inflammatory remodeling and identify venlafaxine as a potential pharmacological strategy to mitigate chemotherapy-associated hair loss.