Abstract 6503: Preclinical insights into chemotherapy-induced alopecia: a focus on mouse and rat models

Abstract Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is a prevalent and distressing side effect of cancer treatment, significantly affecting patients’ quality of life and highlighting the critical need for preclinical models to investigate its mechanisms and develop effective interventions. Murine models, including both rat and mouse species, are indispensable in advancing our understanding of CIA. This review explores the use of murine models in CIA research, focusing on the most commonly used strains, chemotherapies, and administration methods. Rat models primarily utilized Fischer, Long-Evans, and Sprague-Dawley strains, treated with chemotherapeutic agents such as cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, doxorubicin, and etoposide. Most of these chemotherapies were injected intraperitoneally (IP), with occasional intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SQ) injections. Mouse models primarily involved C57/BL mice, with chemotherapy also administered predominantly via IP injection, along with a few IV and one SQ method. The primary agents responsible for inducing alopecia in these models included cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and, less frequently, 5-fluorouracil, cytosine arabinoside, etoposide, and paclitaxel. The assessment of alopecia progression relied on visual evaluation, photography, and histological analysis. While these models provide critical insights into CIA mechanisms, variability in outcomes underscore the need for standardized protocols to enhance reproducibility and translational relevance in preclinical CIA research. Citation Format: Simonetta I. Gaumond, Isabella Kamholtz, Caroline A. Crowley, Claudia Kersting, Joaquin J. Jimenez. Preclinical insights into chemotherapy-induced alopecia: a focus on mouse and rat models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 6503.