the future

[sdsurfin]

this is why we will be the last generations of men to go bald:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...n-8925295.html

probably shouldn't even waste time on things like histogen and de novo follicle formation. Baldness research should be wholly focused on finding all the the genes that cause baldness. It's such a bummer that a cure is not really on the horizon for us, but that medicine is going to be completely revolutionized in the next century. If enough money and effort was put into the problem, and all current technology was used without undergoing years of trials, I'm pretty sure baldness could be cured in a couple of years.

[Desmond84]

Gene therapy is definitely VERY exciting...but a bit scary at the same time. Things can go seriously wrong if we don't know 100% what we are doing and what specific roles each gene plays.

I think we might find the key to multiplying DP cells in culture by comparing genome of Mouse and Human DP cells...I think the answer lies somewhere in the genes! Ppl are always taken back when they see how easy it is to grow hair on mice and I'm pretty sure it has something to do with their highly inductive DP cells.

This new technology can definitely let us modify our DP cells if only we knew which genes to swap

[BoSox]

This is amazing, nice article. I believe baldness will be cured very soon, other diseases will follow.

[yeahyeahyeah]

this is why we will be the last generations of men to go bald:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...n-8925295.html

probably shouldn't even waste time on things like histogen and de novo follicle formation. Baldness research should be wholly focused on finding all the the genes that cause baldness. It's such a bummer that a cure is not really on the horizon for us, but that medicine is going to be completely revolutionized in the next century. If enough money and effort was put into the problem, and all current technology was used without undergoing years of trials, I'm pretty sure baldness could be cured in a couple of years.

Histogen will mean that we wont be the last generation to go bald.

The whole point of it is to maintain what you have already.

Why do people on this forum have to be such depressive ****s, rather just be grateful there are better treatments on the horizon.

[Desmond84]

Yeah guys, Histogen CB Replicel and all other treatments will be of huge benefit to most of us! We are not far from them either...2-3 years max (if you're happy with travelling to Asia )

[Pentarou]

FWIW, the Independent is one of the better British newspapers, so this article isn't a dodgy tabloid article.

[moore]

Gene therapy is definitely VERY exciting...but a bit scary at the same time. Things can go seriously wrong if we don't know 100% what we are doing and what specific roles each gene plays.

I think we might find the key to multiplying DP cells in culture by comparing genome of Mouse and Human DP cells...I think the answer lies somewhere in the genes! Ppl are always taken back when they see how easy it is to grow hair on mice and I'm pretty sure it has something to do with their highly inductive DP cells.

This new technology can definitely let us modify our DP cells if only we knew which genes to swap

Quite correct Desmond, but I think we are not trying to grow an additional arm on our shoulder or something. We just want our hair to stick on our head.
So couldn't we just have a look at the Dna of some guy (very rare I admit) who has a full head of hair at 100years old? The Dna we need is already somewhere, nothing has to be invented from scratch. Or maybe I'm completely missing the point.

[HairBane]

Gene therapy is great, and in the future it certainly will be our method for solving a lot of things that go wrong with the human body.

The thing is, at this stage in the game, it's extraordinarily complex and dangerous. If you're just trying to solve something like hair loss, there are easier ways (stem cells, wounding, transplants, multiplication, hormone manipulation, etc.). A single phenotype can have thousands of different genes interacting in complex ways, just look at the field of epigenetics. The gene that encodes for one thing might also influence dozens of other things. You could add/delete a gene which seemingly influences hairloss and give yourself some heart condition. So, right now, with our limited understanding genes, it's much safer and simpler to solve it in other ways.

To give another example, we're now discovering the genes which give the human face it's structure - we'll literally be able to know what people look like based on their DNA in the near future. But is gene therapy going to replace nose jobs, braces, etc.? Not for a LONG time, probably hundreds of years. These things are so easily fixed with a surgical procedure and are so complex on the genetic level that it boggles the mind.

[moore]

Very likely. And that's why new IT systems and programs will be invented to keep such complexities on check.
Machines will cure us one day..let's hope we don't end up like in the matrix or terminator.

[James7]

Yeah guys, Histogen CB Replicel and all other treatments will be of huge benefit to most of us! We are not far from them either...2-3 years max (if you're happy with travelling to Asia )

Yes exactly

These things actually exist, Histogen & Replicel have clinical data showing hair growth.

They could bridge the gap between now and a cure.