Tsuji Team is Back!

[Desmond84]

It's 2013 and the Tsuji team have once again blown all competition out of the park. They have now managed to engineer salivary and lachrymal glands using their "germ method", which are fully functional and connected to all surrounding structures and nerve endings!

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“People have done a lot of work with stem cells, but this is the first time I’ve seen transplantation of a whole [bioengineered] salivary gland,” said the University of Buffalo’s Olga Baker, an assistant professor of oral biology, who was not involved in the work. “To my knowledge, this is a first.”

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Much remains to be seen before lab-grown salivary and tear glands are ready for use in humans. For example, the cells that Tsuji’s team used to create these organ germs are not ideal for clinical use.

“To fully realize the practical clinical application of secretory gland regeneration, suitable cell sources must be identified,” said Hirayama. To that end, the team is working to see whether human embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells can be prodded to form functional glands in the lab. “We will need to identify cell sources from various tissue-derived stem cell populations isolated from patients who have the organ-inducible ability to reproduce the epithelial and mesenchymal interactions for organogenesis,” Hirayama added.

In addition, the clinical potential of the particular engraftment approach the team took must be evaluated in the context of both health and disease. Transplanting a lab-grown gland into diseased tissue, which is often subject to inflammation, will likely be more difficult than engrafting an organ germ into a healthy host. “Further investigation of the clinical application of these methods, including engraftment and recipient niches for organ regeneration, will contribute to the development of . . . gland regeneration therapy in humans,” Hirayama said.

Still, the study points the way to building replacement secretory glands for humans. And the bioengineering approach may be more widely applicable, said Hirayama, to not only other glands and sense organs, “but also endodermal endocrine organs, including the liver and pancreas.”

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articl...retory-Glands/

[Desmond84]

Here's the most fascinating thing about the last few paragraphs:

This article confirms that Tsuji team is working on employing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) as a source of stem cells for their future trials just as we suspected

They're working on bringing the cure to us boys and girls....hang in there, it's only a matter of time now

[HairBane]

I hope they see the financial potential of curing hairloss, it could make them billions that they could use to fund the rest of these medical miracles! I'd be happier to give them money than seedy moneygrabbers like Aderans.

[Desmond84]

The beauty of their "germ" technology is once they can solve the stem cell multiplication problem, all their organs can be easily engineered particularly hair follicles!

Japan is also at the forefront of iPS research and is also trying to loosen up their human trial guidelines to fast track new medical technologies! Tsuji is looking more and more promising every day

[Artha]

It's 2013 and the Tsuji team have once again blown all competition out of the park. They have now managed to engineer salivary and lachrymal glands using their "germ method", which are fully functional and connected to all surrounding structures and nerve endings!

__________________________________________________ ______________

“People have done a lot of work with stem cells, but this is the first time I’ve seen transplantation of a whole [bioengineered] salivary gland,” said the University of Buffalo’s Olga Baker, an assistant professor of oral biology, who was not involved in the work. “To my knowledge, this is a first.”

__________________________________________________ ______________

Much remains to be seen before lab-grown salivary and tear glands are ready for use in humans. For example, the cells that Tsuji’s team used to create these organ germs are not ideal for clinical use.

“To fully realize the practical clinical application of secretory gland regeneration, suitable cell sources must be identified,” said Hirayama. To that end, the team is working to see whether human embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells can be prodded to form functional glands in the lab. “We will need to identify cell sources from various tissue-derived stem cell populations isolated from patients who have the organ-inducible ability to reproduce the epithelial and mesenchymal interactions for organogenesis,” Hirayama added.

In addition, the clinical potential of the particular engraftment approach the team took must be evaluated in the context of both health and disease. Transplanting a lab-grown gland into diseased tissue, which is often subject to inflammation, will likely be more difficult than engrafting an organ germ into a healthy host. “Further investigation of the clinical application of these methods, including engraftment and recipient niches for organ regeneration, will contribute to the development of . . . gland regeneration therapy in humans,” Hirayama said.

Still, the study points the way to building replacement secretory glands for humans. And the bioengineering approach may be more widely applicable, said Hirayama, to not only other glands and sense organs, “but also endodermal endocrine organs, including the liver and pancreas.”

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articl...retory-Glands/

I didn't know it was the same labs.. Good news!

[Tomb10]

Desmond,

What are the things they need to fix, before they can start clinical trials?
It would be so great, a full head of hair, nw1, full density. And it would not be necessary to take any meds.
When do yo think, this will be available for us?

[LMS]

honestly who cares. if anything ever comes out of this (ie. a tangible treatment) its still atleast 10-15 years away. f that ill pray for nigams lol

[DepressedByHairLoss]

The problem is that 10 years (or whatever the timeline is) is just way too long for many people to wait!

[hellouser]

The problem is that 10 years (or whatever the timeline is) is just way too long for many people to wait!

I'll be 40 years and severely washed up by then.

My god, this industry moves at a snails pace... I'd like to see the tech industry try their hand at it, i'm willing to bet my life savings theyd get it done in a matter of months and turn all the current researchers on their ass. Tech industry moves FAST AS HELL but the hair loss researchers seem to coast their way through it.

[Arashi]

This is great news Desmond !! Very interesting to see confirmed that they indeed are looking into IPS cells as source for the germs. It all looks very very promising. This is going to be the cure. It won't be next year, it might very well take more than 10 years, but this is the most promising technique there is and good progress is being made, not only by Tsuji, but by the IPS research in general (like this: http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14152 )