Re-seeding hair

[nickk]

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/20...-baldness-cure

[joachim]

hmm... this sounds serious.
but i'm not sure how they solve the multiplication issue of the DP cells.
does that mean, that when a cluster of DP cells is coated into that nanocoating, that it can be multiplied in a dish, with retaining all the characteristics it needs?

otherwise i wouldn't see a sense in that achievement.
if they are going to just nanocoat a whole healthy DP cluster to make it better transplantable as a whole from point A to B, then it wouldn't make sense as we already know that transplantation of a whole DP is easy.
only when you force the cells to multiply themselves in vitro, the known problems occur. if this nanocoating would prevent the problems, then hairloss is practically solved. unlimited DP cells = cure

[BoSox]

Man, we are getting so close.

[sdsurfin]

this is huge. Between follicle regeneration ang genetic manipulation, there's no way that the next generation or maybe the next one deosn't have a cure. Prob too late for us guys in our 30s, but fascinating science. Hopefully China and japan will move on this stuff quickly, but after they get the inductivity down its gonna be a different challenge to implant these guys in someones head correctly. If i was a hair transplant surgeon I would be preparing for this technology and moving my practice abroad.

[allTheGoodNamesAreTaken]

The dermal papilla cell (DPC) is a type of highly specialized mesenchymal cells located in hair follicles (HF). Due to the primary role in the epithelial–mesenchymal interaction that enables hair-follicle morphogenesis and hair cycling, DPC has become an attractive cell source for hair regeneration to treat alopecia patients. However, DPCs tend to lose their function during in vitro culture. Hence, there exists a clear need to develop a microenvironment that can recapitulate the interactions within the native milieu of DPCs. Since layer-by-layer (LBL) nano-coating with biocompatible materials on the cell surface displays the versatility with tunable loading and release properties, which can provide a remodeled microenvironment for regulating cell function. Here, we developed a LBL self-assembly technique to single DPCs to create a nano-scale ultrathin extracellular matrix (ECM). We studied that the single cell-based LBL-encapsulation would not impact the viability, morphology, proliferation and intrinsic properties of DPCs using Western blot and mRNA expressions of β-catenin, ALP and α-SMA. We then included fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) into the LBL nano-structure to regulate the DPC function. Finally, we performed in vivo hair reconstitution assays using LBL-encapsulated DPCs combined with freshly isolated epidermal cells (EPCs) and found this strategy can treat hair loss.

[paleocapa89]

This is some serious s**t! If this works in humans then it might be a cure for good. No more tablets no more topicals. They take a biopsy from the back of the head culture some DPs then inject it to the front and voila: androgen insensitive hair!

After reading a lot about the AGA process I start to believe it is impossible to cure it, at least not in the short term. It is on the same level of curing cancer and reversing aging. Because if I understand it correctly our body basically uses the same mechanism on our hair that it uses to defend itself against tumors. It shuts down the DP cell proliferation and puts a lock on it. We might try to manipulate some pathways that might provide some regrowth for a limited amount of time (hopefully without creating tumors) but our body will do everything it can to kill those hairs again, as long as we live.

Replacing the hairs with hairs grown from androgen insensitive DPs is on way to cure this disease IMO. The other way that I think might work, is donor multiplication: taking some cells from the back while simultaneously injecting some stuff to the back an to the recipient area to to manipulate some pathways and overdrive regeneration so full hairs can grow in both places.

[sdsurfin]

This is some serious s**t! If this works in humans then it might be a cure for good. No more tablets no more topicals. They take a biopsy from the back of the head culture some DPs then inject it to the front and voila: androgen insensitive hair!

After reading a lot about the AGA process I start to believe it is impossible to cure it, at least not in the short term. It is on the same level of curing cancer and reversing aging. Because if I understand it correctly our body basically uses the same mechanism on our hair that it uses to defend itself against tumors. It shuts down the DP cell proliferation and puts a lock on it. We might try to manipulate some pathways that might provide some regrowth for a limited amount of time (hopefully without creating tumors) but our body will do everything it can to kill those hairs again, as long as we live.

Replacing the hairs with hairs grown from androgen insensitive DPs is on way to cure this disease IMO. The other way that I think might work, is donor multiplication: taking some cells from the back while simultaneously injecting some stuff to the back an to the recipient area to to manipulate some pathways and overdrive regeneration so full hairs can grow in both places.

I agree that everything else is a waste of time. There are too many pathways involved, and any treatment is just a bandaid. The only thing that could cure aga is genetic manipulation, but injecting new insensitive follicles seems more realistic and closer to becoming a reality. I really hope there are other teams implementing these kinds of techniques on people. If christiano and claire higgins have not seen this, then they really need to. The question remains, how do you implant these things and still have the hair come out the right way, look good etc? That will probably take ages to solve.

[NeedHairASAP]

I think it's probably pretty easy for them to make sure it grows straight. I believe they can provide scaffolding for that.

The big question is keeping DPs inductive (which they supposedly do here).

I'd like to hear claire higgin's opinion on this study.

[Swooping]

Good stuff. Remember when Aardon Gardner was on this forum and he said that injection of cells might a problem in the balding scalp because of a harsh environment for the cells? Well I guess this development might help with that problem (as mentioned in the article too).

[paleocapa89]

Didn't we have companies like Intercytex and Aderans Research Institute that tried to achieve this? They should benefit from this technology, and maybe Replicel as well.