Blindly Following Hair Loss Treatment Companies
I honestly think you have been somewhat indifferent towards Histogen’s potential. As researchers have recently discovered, the baldness gene affects WTN7 pathway. Histogen stimulates this pathway to produce new folicles and thicken exisiting ones. Obviously, there is a connection. The only affirmative emails you respond to involve propecia. I have been taking propecia for 2 years and I have not had any improvements with my hair. In fact, I have significantly lost more hair. Now you’ll probably say, it’s keeping what you have, but that’s BS. It isn’t effective because it isn’t addressing the real issue of hair miniturization which has been recently connected to WNT7 pathways (Dr. Christiano, Columbia)
Now I can understand why you would want to downplay this company because if it does go to market within 3-5 yrs in Asia, hair transplant surgeons will not benefit financially as much as they have in the past. In fact, nurse practitioners would be able to treat patients. At this point, I will no longer be a reader of your blog because I find your replies to be completely boring and repetative. Maybe you should invest some of the kickbacks you’ve received from Merck into a Histogen if you really wanted to see a viable hair growth treatment come to market
Good Bye and Good Luck
For those who freely read on, my position on hair loss has remained constant. There is no cure for hair loss and Propecia is certainly not a cure (though it helps treat hair loss in most men). I recently wrote about the discovery of the hair loss gene pathway you are referring to, but if you read on, it is not about male pattern baldness. As quoted by Dr. Christiano herself, “It is important to note that while these two conditions share the same physiologic process, the gene we discovered for hereditary hypotrichosis does not explain the complex process of male pattern baldness.”
In the end, I am happy that there is research being carried out to find a cure. I care about patients and if I was actively trying to steer people to my surgical practice why would I bother telling them to take a pill? Why would I spend time answering questions on this site every day that have nothing to do with directing patients to surgery? Your logic is full of flaws and you come across as an angry, desperate person. You are misdirecting your anger at me, possibly because of your impatience at these cloning companies and their moving timelines. Should I be sad that I do not receive any kickbacks by Merck or Histogen or Dr Christiano or any other companies or individuals? I’ve already stated my connections (or lack thereof) to Merck. They make a medication that works to treat hair loss. It is proven safe and effective. The rest is all conjecture.
Lastly, I am sorry that you find my comments to be repetitive, but at least they are consistent! So thanks for your insightful comments and we will miss you here!
Keep up the good work Dr. Rassman. It is sad some people just can’t appreciate the progress that has ALREADY been made in this field…
Progress?…let’s look at most of the pictures from people who have had transplants…Ummm see through scalps..Yes, that’s progress. Let’s take 2000 follicles and try cover up an area where 10,000 should be. Great!
“We have at last made a connection between Wnt signaling and human hair disease that is highly significant,” says Christiano. “And unlike commonly available treatments for hair loss that involve blocking hormonal pathways, treatments involving the Wnt pathway would be non-hormonal, which may enable many more people suffering from hair loss to receive such therapies.”
I don’t think we should be so much concerned about hair loss. As long as you are in good health you should be happy.
Regards,
Zee Mathews
The Salon Mangers Academy
I agree with Dr Rassman not to pin hopes on future treatments yet. It’s clutching at straws. Even in what you wrote above it says they have made a SIGNIFICANT CONNECTION. So they have found out a bit more of the puzzle, NOT that it’s all done and dusted and perfected for people.
Well this explains why finasteride doesn’t work effectively for most people. This new research shows balding isn’t so much of a hormonal issues as it is a genetic defect that affects wnt7 pathways. Using finasteride to treat balding is like giving someone a benadril to treat bronchitis. (maybe not the best analogy but hopefully you get the point)