Spencer Kobren Interviews Dr. Jerry Cooley | ACell MatriStem Plucked Hair

[gmonasco]

One of the questions posed was something like "if transplanted to a bald region affected by DHT, will the new transplants hair unit be receptive or immune to DHT?" He didn't answer this clearly, and merely said "I have a hunch it will be permanent"!?! Why is he offering up a transplant of 1500 hair on a woman as evidence, do this on a bald man.. and the answer will be quickly known!!!

Not necessarily. It could take years before DHT would determinably affect the regenerated hairs.

[skipstah70]

Not necessarily. It could take years before DHT would determinably affect the regenerated hairs.

You miss my point. The huge mass majority of hairloss sufferers fit into the category MPB.. that's MALE patern baldness. Ergo.. it would make a stronger case for a hair loss solution if for example Dr. Cooley cited test that were actually performed on bald men.. not talking about 1500 graphs he did on a female head. Why didn't he talk about a 4000 hair session performed on a bald guy, I'm sure there's like 10,000 bald guys out there who even not knowing the permanency of this procedure would jump at the chance... but alas.. he talks about 1500 graphs he did on a female head. Why does this already make me uneasy about the promise of this procedure?!

[mlao]

At least Dr. Cooley is moving the research forward. A lot of transplant surgeons will probably wait years before they embrace this technology. I for one think it's amazing that he has come this far in just a few years.
Fingers crossed!

[gmonasco]

You miss my point.

I didn't miss your point; I was correcting your statement that using the technique on men would "quickly" determine whether the regenerated hairs were susceptible to DHT. That's a factor that could take years to evaluate.

[skipstah70]

I didn't miss your point; I was correcting your statement that using the technique on men would "quickly" determine whether the regenerated hairs were susceptible to DHT. That's a factor that could take years to evaluate.

Quickly is a relative term. People talk all the time how "close we are to curing baldness", yet almost everyone agrees it's years away if not a decade or two. Of course you have to wait and see how the results will pan out on any test candidates.. but it might make things quicker if you at least chose relevant candidates.

[Westonci]

How it works

When Dr. Jerry Cooley says that the hairs need to be plucked in a very specific manner he means that the epithelial tissue must still be in tact to the hair shaft.

For example here is a hair that i just plucked from my scalp that contains the epithelial tissue intact.

[IMG]http://www.************/hair-loss/img/uploaded/3580_image1.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.************/hair-loss/img/uploaded/3580_image4.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.************/hair-loss/img/uploaded/3580_image5.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.************/hair-loss/img/uploaded/3580_image2.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.************/hair-loss/img/uploaded/3580_image3.jpg[/IMG]

and here is an example of a hair shaft that does not contain the epithelial tissue.

[IMG]http://www.************/hair-loss/img/uploaded/3580_image6.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.************/hair-loss/img/uploaded/3580_image7.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.************/hair-loss/img/uploaded/3580_image8.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.************/hair-loss/img/uploaded/3580_image9.jpg[/IMG]

As you can see the hair shafts with the epithelial tissue intact look similar to an FUE single hair graft unit, however a FUE hair graft contains both the mesenchymal layer and the epithelial layer.

A plucked hair only contains the epithelial layer, however according to Dr. Cooley, Acells matristem powder is able to regenerate the mesenchymal layer when implanted into the recipient site.

And this is the jist of Dr Cooleys new breakthrough. Keep in mind that this plucking technique was tried many times before however those that tried it before did not use the Acell matristem and so the mesenchymal layer was not able to regenerate which is the key to this new breakthrough.

[PayDay]

Did you guys see this?

This presentation was presented at the 18th Annual ISHRS Scientific Meeting.
Part 1 & 2:

http://www.iahrs.org/news/dr-jerry-cooley-acell-matristem-slide-presentation/

Part 3 & 4:

http://www.iahrs.org/news/dr-jerry-cooley-acell-matristem-slide-presentation-part-3-4/

[utah23]

Does anyone know if there is a way to watch the Tuesday night segment with Dr. Cooley? (or any old segments) I was away from the house and unable to watch it.

[Jerry Cooley, MD]

Great interview! Thanks for keeping on top of this, Spencer. This is truly groundbreaking. One question that wasn't addressed was the percentage of hairs that regrow in the recipient area. I've heard different numbers - Hitzig suggests 60-80%, I think Cooley at one time suggested 75%... Dr. Rassman on his blog says it's less than 50% -- though I take his claims with a grain of salt.. Dr. Cooley, if you're reading this, could you let us know? Thanks.

I wish I had an exact % to give you. My success was much lower in the beginning but has steadily risen. Currently about 75% in a healthy recipient bed, and 40-50% in scar; because we keep refining the technique, I expect these numbers to rise.

Thanks for your interest.---Dr Cooley

[Jerry Cooley, MD]

Some replies to the above questions/comments:

1. Success rate: 50-75% in healthy scalp, 40-50% in scar; we're actively trying ways to raise the success rate.
2. Graft permanence: I've emphasized that we don't know for sure whether these hairs will cycle normally or whether they will be DHT sensitive. I predict they will be permanent or semi-permanent.
3. I referenced the case of 1500 grafts in the female only to talk about numbers...that is our largest case so far. I've done quite a few small cases in men, in the balding crown, with good results. This will provide an opportunity to observe what happens over time and whether these new hairs will thin out (miniaturize).
4. When surgeons started doing hair transplants in the 1960's, no one knew if they would be 'permanent'. In fact, for many people, standard hair transplants may in fact thin as they get older.
5. Many popular cosmetic procedures don't produce 'permanent' results....Botox, fillers, even face lifts, wear off over time. This is part of the informed consent process before surgery.

Thanks for all the interest in our work.

--Dr Cooley

[Westonci]

Some replies to the above questions/comments:

1. Success rate: 50-75% in healthy scalp, 40-50% in scar; we're actively trying ways to raise the success rate.
2. Graft permanence: I've emphasized that we don't know for sure whether these hairs will cycle normally or whether they will be DHT sensitive. I predict they will be permanent or semi-permanent.
3. I referenced the case of 1500 grafts in the female only to talk about numbers...that is our largest case so far. I've done quite a few small cases in men, in the balding crown, with good results. This will provide an opportunity to observe what happens over time and whether these new hairs will thin out (miniaturize).
4. When surgeons started doing hair transplants in the 1960's, no one knew if they would be 'permanent'. In fact, for many people, standard hair transplants may in fact thin as they get older.
5. Many popular cosmetic procedures don't produce 'permanent' results....Botox, fillers, even face lifts, wear off over time. This is part of the informed consent process before surgery.

Thanks for all the interest in our work.

--Dr Cooley

Thank you so much for making this breakthrough, i just have two quick questions.

How do you intend to find out whether these hairs will cycle normally? How long will this take?

Also

How do you intend to find out whether these hairs will be sensitive to DHT? How long will this take?

Thanks again.

[wolvie1985]

Sorry to pile on with the questions Dr. Cooley. One more:

Would a recipient area that has already endured a transplant and that simply needs more density still be considered a healthy scalp for the purposes of reaching approx 75%, or would the little scars resulting from the previous procedure make it fall into the 40-50% range? In other words, by 'scar' are you just referring to the donor scar in the back?

Thanks again for all you're doing. Many docs may push back against or remain skeptical of these advances but I hope you stay resolute! You're drastically changing the face of your medical profession as we speak!!

[Jerry Cooley, MD]

What do you mean by "scar" vs "healthy skin"? Is previously transplant scalp considered 'scar' or 'healthy'?

By "scar", I mean the dense, hairless scar in the donor area from prior surgery. I would consider recipient areas treated with prior transplants to be relatively healthy.

--Dr Cooley

[Jerry Cooley, MD]

Sorry to pile on with the questions Dr. Cooley. One more:

Would a recipient area that has already endured a transplant and that simply needs more density still be considered a healthy scalp for the purposes of reaching approx 75%, or would the little scars resulting from the previous procedure make it fall into the 40-50% range? In other words, by 'scar' are you just referring to the donor scar in the back?

Thanks again for all you're doing. Many docs may push back against or remain skeptical of these advances but I hope you stay resolute! You're drastically changing the face of your medical profession as we speak!!

How do you intend to find out whether these hairs will cycle normally? How long will this take?

We plan to re-pluck the hair and see if it grows back. This will indicate it is cycling into anagen again.
Also

How do you intend to find out whether these hairs will be sensitive to DHT? How long will this take?

One option is test for androgen receptors and 5-alpha-reductase levels in the new follicles, but this is difficult to do. Another way is to simply observe what happens to grafts placed in balding areas (e.g. the balding crown). This will take time.

--Dr Cooley

[Fixed by 35]

You miss my point. The huge mass majority of hairloss sufferers fit into the category MPB.. that's MALE patern baldness. Ergo.. it would make a stronger case for a hair loss solution if for example Dr. Cooley cited test that were actually performed on bald men.. not talking about 1500 graphs he did on a female head. Why didn't he talk about a 4000 hair session performed on a bald guy, I'm sure there's like 10,000 bald guys out there who even not knowing the permanency of this procedure would jump at the chance... but alas.. he talks about 1500 graphs he did on a female head. Why does this already make me uneasy about the promise of this procedure?!

It always troubles me when pioneers are criticised in this way by amateurs. To be fair, this is quite tame; sometimes, hair growth researchers are treated like criminals for trying to do something (think Whitfield). What they're doing is not only huge, it is almost certainly beyond our comprehension. I hope I speak for everyone when I say show these people some RESPECT.