gene therapy

[wonderboy]

Hello,
seems that many gene therapy trials are going, especially in China.
Is it possible that currently there is no one of them or even,
only research of this field, related to the cure of androgenetic
alopecia?
Thanks,
wonderboy

[hellouser]

Here's an article I just saw on the net about this:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729104.100-gene-therapy-cures-leukaemia-in-eight-days.html

Great for leukaemia sufferers.... how about some effort into balding?

[burtandernie]

How do they use gene therapy on MPB when we dont know all the genes involved? Not to mention all the possible bad things from playing with combinations of genes. I dont see gene therapy working for MPB anytime before hair multiplication cures it.
We are growing organs already from stem cells. Its a matter of time before we grow hairs in a lab and then cost effectively along with many other organs to implant them back. Its going to happen probably in the next 20 years or so.

[Arashi]

Gene therapy is being conducted in the US as well, for example www.sangamo.com is currently running trials where they've modified a gene that HIV/AIDS binds to in patients. So far results have been stunning. They offer a platform that can flip on/turn off ANY gene in any organism.

So far they haven't done anything regarding hair. Their platform is very expensive, but other companies are developing tools as well and it seems this playing field area is just getting started. It's just a matter of time before it gets used for plastic surgery like hair as well I think

[Thinning87]

Yeah but how much time... That's gonna take at least 20 years, our only hope is a successful histogen/aderans combo

[Arashi]

Yeah but how much time... That's gonna take at least 20 years, our only hope is a successful histogen/aderans combo

I think so .. Eventually when gene therapy is common practice (and that day will come), they'll use it for cosmetic purposes as well, but yeah, 20 years seems plausible unfortunately, maybe even more ..

[Arashi]

our only hope is a successful histogen/aderans combo

In the short run, yes, but in the longer run (10 years) I think our best shot is Team Tokyo. It's truely amazing what they've accomplished and I think they're going to be the first out there with a REAL cure.

[burtandernie]

Gene therapy might turn out to be a big thing for certain diseases but its silly to say because it works well for say one disease that its going to translate over to others like MPB. I hope it turns out to be huge leap towards many diseases, but MPB has many genes that are still unknown so it seems dangerous to go that way for MPB.