Orogen vs Acell

[wilymon]

full disclaimer: I had no idea Orogen even existed until a couple hours ago when i started reading up on Dr. Greco (I know, what kind of information-obsessed hairloss sufferer am I?).

I'm not sure if I have a question here. The difference between the two is explained by Greco here: http://doctorgreco.blogspot.com/, they're both an extracellular matrix except that Acell is made from Pig bladder and Orogen is "derived from your own plasma proteins (fibrin, fibrinectin and vitronnectin)."

And I can't ask if one is more effective than the other because there haven't been any such studies. It'd be great if Hitzig or Greco tried both on a patient to see if there was a measurable difference. Or if someone here has tried both, I'd love a review.

I guess the reason I wanted to post this is because Orogen has received very little discussion on the forum, while Acell is the talk of the town. Why has this been the case? I have some theories:

1.) I'm not sure if this is correct, but I've gotten the impression that Greco is the only one authorized to use Orogen Plus (correct me if I'm wrong). That would explain some of the overwhelming love for Acell, because Hitzig has been very open with his techniques (even traveling to England to teach a doctor over there how to perform it) and it seems that any doctor can buy Acell.

2.) Orogen Plus has much more modest claims than Acell. Orogen appears to be used solely to strengthen PRP therapy while Acell (through Hitzig) has made the bold claim of hair multiplication. I'm sure somewhere in a hidden underground lab Orogen has been tested concerning hair plucking and multiplication. Wish I could see those results.

3.) In the video Greco posted about his use of PRP with Orogen, he uses a roller to stimulate the scalp. Hitzig's protocol calls for damaging the scalp underneath the skin. Personally, Hitzig's technique makes more sense to me, but since both haven't been tested on a single patient, I can't compare.

Well, that's all I got! What say you?

[UK_]

Looks good - he uses a scaffold so the cells know exactly what organ they are turning into (thats basically the latest method used to grow livers, heart valves and kidneys) -

[HairTalk]

This can be said about ACell and about Histogen's H.S.C., as well, but I have yet to see any solid photographic evidence of re-growth from Dr. Greco's Orogen Plus compound. On his Web site, I've found three before–after images, and they're terrible, useless items; the most impressive comparison-shot is of a patient afflicted with discoid lupus, not with typical balding.

Let's see if H.S.C. trials get under way in a couple of weeks (i.e., at the beginning of June, 2011), and whether Dr. Bernstein's studies with ACell turn out to give good news (we ought to know by ~mid-2012, I believe). Let's be hopeful about Orogen Plus and Replicel, too, I suppose, but, through it all, I think we'd still be wise not to get too giddy about any of these things, just yet, as not one has provided strong clinical evidence of really effectively treating hairloss.

[DepressedByHairLoss]

I'd like to get excited about Dr. Hitzig's Acell+PRP technology except that I've looked at the before and after photos on his website and the hair regrowth is very, very minimal. Maybe he is introducing a different application of this technology in the UK, I hope. Or maybe he's planning to extract bone marrow stem cells and add them into the mix. I don't know about Dr. Greco's Orogen therapy, I sure hope it works. As far as I've seen, PRP therapy produces only very minimal results. But I give these doctors a world of credit; at least they are doing something and trying new and innovative therapies as opposed to the same old hair transplants and only conducting "research".

[wilymon]

i know that we're not talking about the end all be all cure of hairloss here, so I'm trying to keep my expectations in check when it comes to Acell, PRP and Orogen. Still the idea of having a scar heal better than ever before, of the scalp maintaining good elasticity after a transplant, of increasing volume and all that jazz... it gives lots of hope about the direction in which this technology is going. I think we're on the right track.

As far as the photos, they may not be too impressive, but I'd love to talk to the patients in those photos. A lot of the time, a picture cant convey how much of a difference it's made for them. I know that if I could regrow my miniaturized hairs (I have tons of them up there) or at least improve my hair growth by even 20%, I'd be in tears. Keep hope alive, guys!

[UK_]

@Wilymon

We do have a lot to be hopeful about, what we also need is patience, there are so many procedures in the pipeline now - more than has ever been for as long as I care to remember. If Dr Greco believes his "formula" is the key to activating those dormant hair follicles, than even having a doctor believe this may be it, is great news.

We will know when the Acell trials are up, and we will have a better idea later on in this year as to whether the treatment will be viable.

Im happy to see Hitzig in the UK, now the Acell word has spread here and more interest from researchers across the field into using growth factor concoctions to stimulate new hairs.