New Intercytex report on a graft model for hair development

[HairLossFight.com]

What I found to be very interesting about this draft below is the following claim from Intercytex:

Using the assay, freshly isolated and cultured mouse embryo dermal cells as well as cultured dermal papilla cells from other species all induced hair formation. The induced hairs were aesthetically indistinguishable from those of the epidermal donor in length, thickness, and pigmentation, and they were histologically normal.

So far I hadn't heard anything direct about the cultured hair that they are producing being the indistinguishable from the epidermal, which I assume is the source hair. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Smells like we're getting a litte bit closer to the holy grail here... maybe?


From Pubmed:

A graft model for hair development.
Qiao J, Philips E, Teumer J.

Intercytex Ltd, 175-E New Boston Street, Woburn, MA, USA.

Follicular cell implantation (FCI) is an experimental cell therapy for the treatment of hair loss that uses cultured hair follicle cells to induce new hair formation. This treatment is based on the demonstration that adult dermal papilla cells (DPC) retain the hair inductive capacity they acquired during hair morphogenesis in the embryo. For FCI, hair inductive cells are isolated from scalp biopsies and then propagated in culture in order to provide enough cells to generate many new follicles from a few donor follicles. Following expansion in culture, the cells are implanted into the scalp where they induce the formation of new follicles. Because the process relies on the ability to retain the potential for hair induction during the expansion of DPC in culture, we sought a consistent, reliable and easily performed in vivo assay in which to test hair induction. In this study, we describe a simple graft model that supports hair morphogenesis. The assay combines dermal cells with embryonic mouse epidermis that provides the keratinocyte component of induced follicles. The grafts are placed under a protective skin flap in the host athymic mouse where the cells will form a skin graft with hair if the dermal cells are hair inductive DPC. Using the assay, freshly isolated and cultured mouse embryo dermal cells as well as cultured dermal papilla cells from other species all induced hair formation. The induced hairs were aesthetically indistinguishable from those of the epidermal donor in length, thickness, and pigmentation, and they were histologically normal.

PMID: 18070082 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Tricia]

I hope that it does work. I noticed that Intercytex updated their website again. They gave a re-cap on their products and where things stand as of the end of 2007. When trials are going on, the news is always good until they unexpectedly bomb out.

[James]

When trials are going on, the news is always good until they unexpectedly bomb out.

Exactly what I was thinking.

My gut tells me that we will not be seeing a viable cure for at least the next 20 years. This technique in particular will probably take years of improvement before it become a real "cure."

I don't mean to sound morbid, it is just how it is in my opinion.

[HairLossFight.com]

I agree that it will probably be a long time before it becomes commonly available. I'm just happy that at least SOME progress is being made.