Hair Depigmentation During ChemotherapyWith Dasatinib, a Dual Bcr-Abl/Src FamilyTyrosine Kinase Inhibitor

Hair depigmentation has been shown to occur with disruption of the interaction between the ligand stem cell factor (SCF) with its class III receptor tyrosine kinase c-kit, also called the stem cell factor receptor. This article reports the case of a patient who experienced depigmentation of her eyelashes, eyebrows, and temporal scalp hair six-to-eight weeks after initiating treatment with dasatinib (BMS-354825 or Sprycel), a novel dual Bcr-Abl/Src family tyrosine kinase inhibitor for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This case illustrates a previously unreported side-effect of dasatinib that is most likely due to the drug’s inhibition of the c-kit, Src family, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) tyrosine kinases. Further study of hair depigmentation as a side effect of multikinase inhibitors can provide useful information on hair and melanocyte physiology.