Questions for Desmond at Hair Congress 2014

[hellouser]

Title says it all! Let's organize some questions for Desmond to ask the top guys.

Members can post questions they want to see asked and if you agree with a question then you can quote it, followed by a "+1". You are not allowed to vote more than once for the same question.

Since the forum does not allow editing posts beyond the 15 minute mark after a comment is posted, I'll be forced to give constant replies rather than simply update THIS comment/reply.

Let's organize the questions based on the researcher. I'll start off with a couple questions, see if you guys agree:

Dr. Roland Lauster/Beren Ataç

1. If the bioreactor creates exact duplicates of follicles that function as normal follicles, is it necessary to have them go through clinical trials for implanting considering hair transplants achieve this and have been approved as a method for commercial use.

Dr. Cotsarelis/Follica

1. Does the wounding method damage the scalp and dermis to the point of jeopardizing existing follicles that produce terminal hairs?

I have another question for Dr. Cotsarelis, one which I'm sure is the same one many of you already have, but I'll discuss that later.

[nameless]

1. Dr. Roland Lauster/Beren Ataç:

It's my understanding that the bioreactor is intended to create follicles for studying but if the bioreactor can make follicles why not just use the bioreactor to create new follicles and then implant those follicles into balding person's scalps?

2. To all researchers that are working on cell based therapies that Desmond talks to:

Yale scientists say that fat cells under follicles signal follicles to grow hairs. Some doctors are injecting fat cells from the stomach into the scalp to try to get those fat cells to send signals to follicles to regrow hair. But the fat cells in the stomach are not actively giving off signals to the follicles to grow long thick hairs. Wouldn't it make more sense to take plugs from the patient's hair donor region where the hair is growing strong, culture the underlying fat cells, and re-inject the cultured fat cells into balding areas of the same person's scalp along with the appropriate hair cells, after culturing them as well? It is, after all, the follicles under the scalp hairs that are giving signals to the scalp follicles to grow long thick hairs.

3. To Cotseralis: Are you still working on a wounding-based therapy to treat hair loss?

4. (If Cotseralis says he's still working on a wounding based therapy to treat hair loss) To Cotseralis: How far along is your wounding based therapy to treat hair loss?

[nameless]

1. To Aaron Gardner (after his presentation this question should be asked of Mr. Gardner ONLY if his presentation does not indicate full preservation of hair inductivity to hair cells undergoing numerous pass culture) :

Do you have any ideas how to further increase hair inductivity despite numerous culture passes?


2. To ARP Sari (After his presentation this question should be asked of ARP Sari ONLY if his presentation does not include full preservation of hair inductivity to hair cells undergoing numerous pass culture):

Do you have any ideas how to further increase hair inductivity despite numerous culture passes?

[Mike K]

Great questions. How about realistic time frame though? Especially Follica, but others as well.

[Mike K]

And also a basic summary of whatever presentations you see, Desmond, would be totally awesome as well. Thanks again for doing this by the way.

[hairy]

For Cotsarelis

10 years ago, you said a cure was 5 years away. How do we believe you anymore?

[mmmcoffee]

When will male pattern baldness be cured?

[ytterligare]

How can hair loss sufferers help to accelerate the process? Where do we have to sign - what's the bank account?

[clarence]

10 years ago, you said a cure was 5 years away. How do we believe you anymore?

"Question from a 5-year-old to Dr. Cotsarelis"

[Thinning87]

10 years ago, you said a cure was 5 years away. How do we believe you anymore?

I hope Desmond will be considerate enough to know that any questions indicating the mentality of a 16 year old will only chase away the answers we are looking for

[HairBane]

Dr. Roland Lauster/Beren Ataç

1. If the bioreactor creates exact duplicates of follicles that function as normal follicles, is it necessary to have them go through clinical trials for implanting considering hair transplants achieve this and have been approved as a method for commercial use.

Dr. Cotsarelis/Follica

1. Does the wounding method damage the scalp and dermis to the point of jeopardizing existing follicles that produce terminal hairs?

I have another question for Dr. Cotsarelis, one which I'm sure is the same one many of you already have, but I'll discuss that later.

1. Dr. Roland Lauster/Beren Ataç:

It's my understanding that the bioreactor is intended to create follicles for studying but if the bioreactor can make follicles why not just use the bioreactor to create new follicles and then implant those follicles into balding person's scalps?


3. To Cotseralis: Are you still working on a wounding-based therapy to treat hair loss?

4. (If Cotseralis says he's still working on a wounding based therapy to treat hair loss) To Cotseralis: How far along is your wounding based therapy to treat hair loss?

+1 to all of these.

I'd like some clarification about Follica's trials: Are they working on using FGF9, lithium gluconate, or something else? Are they using already-approved substances, and if so, can this fast-track their trials? By how much? Are their current results cosmetically significant and consistent enough to represent a complete cure?

For any researcher such as Christiano, Jahoda, Lauster, etc. I think we should ask their opinions on the recent Chinese developments and trials with expanding DP cells in culture, and how these complement their research (such as UPenn's epithelial cell replication, for Cotsarelis). Are they aware of these developments? Skeptical of them? What is their general understanding of the current state of progression towards full hair multiplication?

[hgs1989]

to follica

does your method produce cosmetically significant results? a timeline if possible?

[efedrez]

To Dr. Cotsarelis/Follica

How often does one needs to apply the procedure in order to maintain noticeable benefits from the treatment?

Is it a live time treatment?

[hellouser]

I have another question for Dr. Cotsarelis, one which I'm sure is the same one many of you already have, but I'll discuss that later.

Alright, so to touch up on this, the most obvious question is this:

'When will Follica's method be released as a commercial treatment for the public?'

But this is a dangerous question to ask depending on HOW its asked. If you simply word that question longer than that, it gives him way too much time to think about what answer he is going to give. That question, essentially the most important one of all, needs to be asked in such a manner that he doesn't put much thought and gives a straight answer. The question/answer should go something along the lines of:

Desmond: You're name is Dr. George Cotsarelis, correct?
Cotsarelis: Yes.
Desmond: You work at the University of Pennsylvania, correct?
Cotsarelis: Yes.
Desmond: You founded the wounded theory of creating follicles, correct?
Cotsarelis: Yes.
Desmond: When will Follica's treatment be available to the public?
Cotsarelis: *ANSWER*

You need to catch him off guard after firing off rapid questions with easy one word answers. Otherwise, you're bound to hear something like this instead:

'Follica's treatment is very close to a release, if everything goes smoothly, it's possible we'll have something in 2-5 years'

I do not want to hear another one of those answers.

On the flip side, I.D. Walker on Hair Loss Talk has the following to say:

If you want to squeeze the wiggle room life out of him/them then don't give the slippery Doc Cots an opportunity. In a very short time he'll have to be impressed that you have already anticipated his unseemly evasive old self, but you have to do this tactfully because as a general rule that's been long time established physicians are egotistical, borderline narcissists, and are easily offended. Counter his answer, that is assuming he cooperates, and shake him gently and without pause. Here might be an example that relates to naturally our favorite question ; Sir I am in communication with one thousand plus hair loss sufferers and investors/ clients who are earnestly banking on the prospect that your tireless research is coming to a head and with that a new and viable treatment/cure will be available soon. In your present opinion, is your current projection of so and so many years still status quo and if not do you have a timeline yet in mind and would you be so gracious as to expound on what is it about this new and exciting revised projection date that will prevent this from going full circle once more? It's a bit verbose but it may be enough to hold his interests and possibly pin a more precise release date. It's tricky and this pseudo scenario may not be realistic. The man may be obstinate or he may not have a working treatment/cure at all. If he could admit that he had zero progress we'ld be more apt to forgive him. Empty promises will eventually catch up with all of them.

So... we need to play psychologist on this front.

[breakbot]

Desmond: You're name is Dr. George Cotsarelis, correct?
Cotsarelis: Yes.
Desmond: You work at the University of Pennsylvania, correct?
Cotsarelis: Yes.
Desmond: You founded the wounded theory of creating follicles, correct?
Cotsarelis: Yes.
Desmond: When will Follica's treatment be available to the public?
Cotsarelis: *ANSWER*

It isn't necessary trying to be a psychologist to take an answer from him, if they have a viable cure Cotsarelis will answer, if his answer will be not clear i suppose they have nothing or they are at an early stage which means 5 years etc...