Dr Lauster's Team (Berlin University of Technology)

[Jasari]

Another Question:

Slick bald scalp still has follicle cells present in the skin. Is it not possible to simply inject cultured cells of one type or a combination of dermal papilla, epithelial, dermal sheath cup cells, etc. and rejuvenate existing follicles NOW rather than putting so much time in creating follicles from scratch when it may not be necessary?

This does seem like the more achievable route. To create an organ seems to be infinitely more difficult than reviving it's existing miniaturised counterpart.

I'd be interested to know how present these follicles are in the skin, especially considering a new graft can be implanted directly over the top of these existing follicles with no complications. You would think their presence would in some way alter the implanted graft.

[sdsurfin]

Another Question:


Slick bald scalp still has follicle cells present in the skin. Is it not possible to simply inject cultured cells of one type or a combination of dermal papilla, epithelial, dermal sheath cup cells, etc. and rejuvenate existing follicles NOW rather than putting so much time in creating follicles from scratch when it may not be necessary?

good question

that is what replicel and histogen are doing...

I think that the initial tests that lauster and taiwan and others are doing are probably partly doing exaclty what you are saying- they don't really know how the proto-follicles will travel or react with existing ones, and they will probably find out through these tests. The team in taiwan is simply injecting DP spheres, so I'm sure they will see if that's effective at reviving follicles. I would imagine that it's actually a lot more difficult to add cells onto existing crap follicles than to create brand new ones though. if their proto-follicles are good enough to induce good new hair then there's no need for the old ones that have weak HF cells. If you inject a whole bunch of 3D cultured cells that are not already in the form of a follicle, you still have the issue of having the cells know where to go in the body and connect in the right ways. If you inject a whole new proto-follice, they are on their way to already knowing what to do and being in the right place.

I would be surprised if an injectable treatment that is at least good for maintenance is not out in the next decade. I would imagine shiseido and replicel are doing everything they can to modify and evolve their treatment so that they choose the right kind of cell mix to inject. DP are harder to culture than DSC cells and might not even be needed to maintain hair.

[efedrez]

Another Question:

Slick bald scalp still has follicle cells present in the skin. Is it not possible to simply inject cultured cells of one type or a combination of dermal papilla, epithelial, dermal sheath cup cells, etc. and rejuvenate existing follicles NOW rather than putting so much time in creating follicles from scratch when it may not be necessary?

This is really what we should all hope for, this way we wouldn't have to worry about a new follicles growing into an unnatural looking hair or in random directions.

Even high NW have dormant follicle waiting to be brought back to life!

[hellouser]

Another Question:

Slick bald scalp still has follicle cells present in the skin. Is it not possible to simply inject cultured cells of one type or a combination of dermal papilla, epithelial, dermal sheath cup cells, etc. and rejuvenate existing follicles NOW rather than putting so much time in creating follicles from scratch when it may not be necessary?

[sdsurfin]

One question I would be curious to ask Lauster's team:

What do they anticipate will have to be done about growth direction? We have seen that inducing hair is possible, and that color can hypothetically be maintained with the addition of melanocytes, but what do they guess will be the fix to the way the hair grows?

from what we saw of tsuji's and others' work, implanting proto-follicles doesn't effectively treat this as a cosmetic issue. i.e. the hairs just grow willy nilly out of the skin. Tsuji used nylon guides, but that didn't really make the hairs grow in a very coherent manner, it just prevented them from being ingrown. Really none of this science is very useful if they can't make it look good, have proper cycling etc. So far I haven't hear any scientists address these possible roadblocks.

The way that follicles grow in an embryo is so systematic and perfectly designed, I would guess that the only way to simulate this would be to grow whole follicles outside the body in cloned skin and then implant them like HT surgeons do one by one.

[BoSox]

Since we're off the topic, just wanted to say my hemorrhoids have been acting up again. My cat pooped 4 times today. I had waffles for breakfast.

[burtandernie]

Fin does maintain doesnt it? I think CB in a few years might completely stop MPB because I mean finasteride is already pretty close. Maybe it takes both CB and propecia both but I think that could be strong enough to stop androgens from killing hair. I consider all that though a preventative cure but its not really a cure for anyone already missing a lot of hair

[BoSox]

It's almost 2015, when they said it would be out. Are we any closer, realistic time frame now?

[ShookOnes]

If the Fin guaranteed maintenance then a hair transplant to fill the loss would have no repercussions i.e Future loss.

Except taking fins annoying so a lot rides on transplant + cb. It'll take a while before this is commercially available

[stan]

No need to be a troll.

If Fin guaranteed maintenance you would only have two camps:
- People that don't suffer hair loss due to fin.
- And the rest i.e: I'm losing my hair because I can't/won't take fin.

The reality is that fin works for small percentage of people. Something that guarantees maintenance is a cure.

Fin works for a small percentage of people? Is that a joke? Now you will say that in the studies they also tampered with the stats that included hari count. Well i really dont want to argue with someone who generalises things on the basis of mere observation on hair loss forums. It might not work for me but it is very clear that the small percentage quackery that you are throwing around doesnt have a solid backing. Good day but please dont pollute these forums with your ignorant posts.

[Jasari]

THREE camps. The third is; I am stuck looking like this, because didn't notice the hair loss earlier.

If the Fin guaranteed maintenance then a hair transplant to fill the loss would have no repercussions i.e Future loss.

[clarence]

If Fin guaranteed maintenance you would only have two camps:
- People that don't suffer hair loss due to fin.
- And the rest i.e: I'm losing my hair because I can't/won't take fin.

THREE camps. The third is; I am stuck looking like this, because didn't notice the hair loss earlier.

[Jasari]

That is not a cure. That is a bandaid.

What Dr. Lauster's team is doing is a cure.

Not for us isn't & that sucks. It's a cure for everyone that hasn't encountered balding yet. Hopefully there is enough incentive to create a treatment that works for high norwood patients.

[hellouser]

The reality is that fin works for small percentage of people. Something that guarantees maintenance is a cure.

That is not a cure. That is a bandaid.

What Dr. Lauster's team is doing is a cure.

[Jasari]

Well because not everybody is gonna report to you if they get success.

No need to be a troll.

If Fin guaranteed maintenance you would only have two camps:
- People that don't suffer hair loss due to fin.
- And the rest i.e: I'm losing my hair because I can't/won't take fin.

The reality is that fin works for small percentage of people. Something that guarantees maintenance is a cure.