Funding Desmond to go to WCHR 2014

[hellouser]

Thank you for answering my questions Hellouser I appreciate it.



See that all sounds great but I don't understand any of it. I'm excited about Follica simply because everyone else is but I don't really understand what they're doing. I suppose what I would like is if Desmond could write a dumbed-down summary of the presentations he sees. Even if it isn't dumbed down though, I can always google words I don't understand and ask specific questions about the summary on the forum, so I guess all I'm really asking for is a summary.

Follica (in my own words) creates a hair loss solution by wounding the scalp, either by damaging the skin by some kind of cheese-grater like device or some other method of their own and adding certain growth factors after (likely via injections) like WNT proteins, perhaps FGF-9 or something else (none of us really knows whats added actually). When the scalp heals, NEW follicles are created from the benefits of the added growth factors. This means there is no harvesting of grafts, no implanting of grafts and no donor depletion. Follica announced last year they were able to create new follicles with this method, Spencer said the same on his radio show. Currently their parent company says 'Phase II' with their progress, see here:

http://www.puretechventures.com/pipeline.php

So, they're at least IN Phase II and this has been known since last year. Hopefully things have progressed beyond Phase II by now. Hopefully Desmond can get some answers from Dr. Cotsarelis at the hair congress.

[nameless]

Follica (in my own words) creates a hair loss solution by wounding the scalp, either by damaging the skin by some kind of cheese-grater like device or some other method of their own and adding certain growth factors after (likely via injections) like WNT proteins, perhaps FGF-9 or something else (none of us really knows whats added actually). When the scalp heals, NEW follicles are created from the benefits of the added growth factors. This means there is no harvesting of grafts, no implanting of grafts and no donor depletion. Follica announced last year they were able to create new follicles with this method, Spencer said the same on his radio show. Currently their parent company says 'Phase II' with their progress, see here:

http://www.puretechventures.com/pipeline.php

So, they're at least IN Phase II and this has been known since last year. Hopefully things have progressed beyond Phase II by now. Hopefully Desmond can get some answers from Dr. Cotsarelis at the hair congress.

Haven't they been saying that they're in phase 2 for about 3 years now? It seems like they've been in phase 2 since forever.

[sdsurfin]

questions

Haven't they been saying that they're in phase 2 for about 3 years now? It seems like they've been in phase 2 since forever.

The stem cell stuff has largely been answered through emails- basically they are learning a lot but still are not able to make DP cells from scratch, which is necessary. Making a follicle seems possible according to researchers but is still quite a ways off.

I think follica might be the only promising thing out there cure-wise, so definitely try to press costarellis for some kind of outlook. im sure he wont give details, but maybe talking to him in person you can get a sense of where they are at and if that's a hopeless venture. My sense is that if they havent come out with anything since 2006, then they have probably encountered serious obstacles. i emailed with dr. garza, who works with costarellis, and he didn't seem to think there was a cure coming anytime soon, as he is still trying to figure out ways to maniuplate the pgd2 pathway.

[hellouser]

Haven't they been saying that they're in phase 2 for about 3 years now? It seems like they've been in phase 2 since forever.

No. Only last year did we get confirmation from them about being in Phase II. But theres no concrete evidence if they've finished Phase IIa/IIb or general II or if they started Phase II last year. It's all just smoke and shadows from them.

[hellouser]

Desmond, I sent you a heads up about me getting in touch with Dr. Lauster's student Beren Atac. I'm just about ready to fire off some emails requesting a moment of the researchers time while in South Korea.

Arashi, have you been in touch with any of the researchers?

[nameless]

No. Only last year did we get confirmation from them about being in Phase II. But theres no concrete evidence if they've finished Phase IIa/IIb or general II or if they started Phase II last year. It's all just smoke and shadows from them.

You've got that right. I can't tell what's going on with them and that makes me think that they are not satisfied with their treatment results.

But then again they also say that they can grow new fully-functioning follicles consistently so that makes me think they have a pretty good treatment. You see, it's harder to grow new follicles than to get already existing follicles to grow better hairs so if they can grow new fully-functional follicles then they likely can also rehabilitate your follicles that are producing shabby hairs.

The things they say/do seem to contradict other things that they say/do. Hence, I can't figure out what is going on with them and sometimes I think that they're shutting down.

I guess if nothing else at the 2014 hair loss congress they may at least clear up whether or not they're shutting down.

[hosney7]

Desmond Im native Korean living in Seoul now

If you dont mind ill go to meet you at Incheon or Gimpo airport and give my number for you to help you

Now im in my university semester that i cant visit the congress but i can search the transportation or some reservation for you

And if you want ill buy some beer and Korean Alchol calles soju at Gangnam area of Gangnam style I think it might be your first and last time to visit Korea so how about get short trip in Korea?

Anyway if you need my help

Please post your arriving time and place then ill go to meet you

[Joan]

I'm a new member (female) and just sent Desmond $25. I've been losing hair for almost two years, but what's worse is my 18-year-old son has started to lose his hair a year ago (on Finasteride for 3 mos. with no results). Anyway, I just want to say that I think you are a bunch of knowledgeable and tenacious guys and hope you get the answers you're looking for.

[hellouser]

Update:

Just got word from Beren Atac that Dr. Lauster will not be attending, but the inventor and project leader of the hair cloning technology in the group, Dr. Lindner will be there.

Desmond, you've got a time window of 10-11am on Thursday for Q&A on current developments with him! Location isn't yet determined, but I'm working on it! I'll let you know once I get more details from Beren Atac!

[joely]

Update:

Just got word from Beren Atac that Dr. Lauster will not be attending, but the inventor and project leader of the hair cloning technology in the group, Dr. Lindner will be there.

Desmond, you've got a time window of 10-11am on Thursday for Q&A on current developments with him! Location isn't yet determined, but I'm working on it! I'll let you know once I get more details from Beren Atac!

Is that good or bad?

[nameless]

Update:

Just got word from Beren Atac that Dr. Lauster will not be attending, but the inventor and project leader of the hair cloning technology in the group, Dr. Lindner will be there.

Desmond, you've got a time window of 10-11am on Thursday for Q&A on current developments with him! Location isn't yet determined, but I'm working on it! I'll let you know once I get more details from Beren Atac!

Wow!

To the people who continuously attack Hellouser - he has just pulled off a huge accomplishment. This is amazing! Hellouser got Desmond some face time with Dr. Lindner.

Hey Hellouser do you think you could get Desmond a little face time with Cotseralis?

[HairBane]

Is that good or bad?

Great news that he already has a potential interview. Doesn't really matter that it's not Lauster directly.

gj hellouser

[hellouser]

Is that good or bad?

I think it's actually better to have the project leader for hair follicle cloning and the inventor of the bioreactor. It seems like Dr. Lauster isn't as involved as we'd think he is. Well definitely get better answers from him than from Dr. Lauster. If this bioreactor does grow follicles en mass, it looks like they really focused on making the solution as productive as possible.

[Sogeking]

I'm a new member (female) and just sent Desmond $25. I've been losing hair for almost two years, but what's worse is my 18-year-old son has started to lose his hair a year ago (on Finasteride for 3 mos. with no results). Anyway, I just want to say that I think you are a bunch of knowledgeable and tenacious guys and hope you get the answers you're looking for.

Hi Joan, I know it must be tough on you. Some members here can be bitter, but if you can get past that than welcome.

Yes, we started to try and be more proactive because we dislike to stay in the dark concerning this potential treatments.

[nameless]

One thing I'm concerned about is that they are doing all of this research on harvested follicles, not follicles in skin as they naturally exist. The problem with this is that if you expose naked follicles (not in skin) to hair cells you have a better chance of getting those hairs to go from weak hairs to strong terminal hairs again, but if you inject the cells into the skin instead that is a totally different thing. When you inject the cells into the skin there's the issue that you have to find a way to get the cells to go inside the follicles. It's easy to get cells to go inside the follicles in a lab setting where you're putting the cells directly into the follicles or in a dish with only follicles but if you put the cells into the skin most of those cells will not end up in follicles. There are relatively big spaces between each follicle that's still in the skin.