How Long Will NHI’s ACell Study Be?

/by William Rassman, M.D./10 /

Hey Dr. Rassman, thanks a lot for taking the initiative to conduct a large-scale ACell study.

When can the general public expect an update regarding your progress? That is, how long do you think it will take for your team to determine whether or not autocloned hairs cycle regularly and whether or not the yield percentage is statistically significant?

The cycling question will reflect the normal cycles in the individuals under the study. I would assume that the cycle will run about 3 years, but indications may become apparent if the hair count starts to drop after a year or so.

Tags: acell, study, research, hairloss, hair loss, hair cycle

Could ACell Mean the End of Propecia?

/by William Rassman, M.D./2 /,

Hi again, Dr. Rassman. The blog keeps getting more interesting, congratulations! My question is: in theory if the ACell procedure works, would patients on Propecia need to keep taking it or there would be no need for the drug anymore? Thanks!

You will likely need Propecia (finasteride) to maintain any benefits, whether that includes regrowth or just slowing the loss down. I have a feeling I’m going to be writing this quite a bit over the next few months, but ACell is not a hair loss cure.

We are all optimistic, but even in the best case scenario it is not a complete answer to hair loss and you will always likely need a medication (Propecia) adjunct.

Tags: acell, propecia, finasteride, hairloss, hair loss

ACell on Non-Transplant Head Scars?

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

I have a non-hair transplant head scars and I was wondering if Acell would help this.

I realize the excitement level is pretty high for ACell right now, but it is not an answer to everything. It generated lots of interest and we are starting our clinical trials, but we aren’t looking at it for use in scar reduction at this time.

In your particular case, I do not even know where there scar is, how deep, wide, or even the shape. It may be that just a scar reduction surgery or a hair transplant may help. I do not know. Remember folks, at this stage ACell is being used for a study and there is no guarantee for success.

Tags: acell, scars, injury, wound

Hair Multiplication and Regenerating Limbs (Video)

/by William Rassman, M.D./17 /, ,

Nearly 3 years ago we posted about limb regeneration, and at the time I stated, “I read this material with great anticipation that someday we will see such breakthroughs available to us all, but I couldn’t say when that might happen.” While I was initially skeptical that this would be made available for hair loss patients so soon, Dr. Cooley’s presentation at the recent ISHRS meeting shows that it can be effective for hair.

Someone recently pointed out a video from CBS News about extracellular matrix that aired in early 2008 that I don’t recall seeing, so I wanted to bring it to light here:

Tags: hair multiplication, limb regeneration, regenerative medicine, cbs, video

What Does Auto-Cloning Mean?

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

Admittedly, I’m not too bright – It sounds like hair is plucked form the back of the head and transplanted in the scalp? Then the plucked hair grows back? Does this mean there would be no need to cut a strip from the back of the head and there would be an unlimited donor supply?

Actually, your conclusion is right on. If this process becomes a standard treatment for hair loss, then the need for a traditional transplant would not be needed as long as you’re willing to go through a procedure that involves plucking many hairs and have them placed into another part of the scalp, one hair at a time. It takes patience, but the hope is that the donor supply is unlimited. This assumes, of course, that the hair that grows from the original plucked hair will regrow and cycle as it did when it was in the donor supply (where the plucked hair came from).

So that’s what we’re referring to when we mention the ACell product and auto-cloning. There are a lot of variables still unknown, which is why we’re going to be studying it.

Tags: auto-cloning, autocloning, acell, hair multiplication, hair loss, hairloss

Would ACell Be Like Going Back to Old Plugs?

/by William Rassman, M.D./0 /,

Can you explain how these ACell hair transplant procedures most likely will be performed?

In my mind, the strip option would be leave a scare too big for the ACell’s MatriStem product to heal/regenerate with out stitches , and If you take a strip of skin out, and stitch it together, there will not be alot of room for regenerating. A standard small FUE scar would be less time efficient and more costly for the customer. I guess, if donor supply is becoming unlimited, customers will demand higher density,more coverage and less conservative hairlines, which would make for more “mega session” type surgeries. As a 24 yr nw3 stable due to proscar, hair transplants never seemed like an option for me, just because of available donor hair – future balding, as I am pretty sure I will end up at Nw6 or 7 if science doesn’t beat genetics.

So If ACell’s MatriStem products turns out to be the standard, do you think we will go back to the old school butchering plug extractions? Since the sessions will be longer and more of them as well (I guess clients will ask for masterplans to have 10,000-20,000 or even 30,000 grafts! Instead of 3,000 – 7,000). And with the healing more forgiving, Would the ACell’s MatriStem product allow the surgeon to butcher the back of clients heads?

Your thoughts on the subject would be very interesting to read.

This is still a very early stage of trials and development. New ways of doing old things will arise. If the new technology works as planned, it will certainly not be like the old days of the bulky hair plugs. It should not produce scarring, as there is no surgery here.

I’d prefer to not get into too much detail here at this time, so please follow our announcements to come. You can see all of our recent posts on this subject in the new ACell category.

Tags: acell, hair multiplication, hairloss, hair loss

Could ACell Theoretically Solve the Infinite Donor Supply Problem?

/by William Rassman, M.D./4 /,

hey Dr Rassman

In a recent post you discussed Unihair a Japanese company working on a different cloning procedure for androgenic alopecia then what experts in North America are hoping to achieve with ACell.

My question is what are you guys planning to do with ACell? the newness of the procedure has caught a lot of people by surprise in my opinion. If ACell does replicate hairs even to a moderate degree wouldn’t that theoretically solve the issue of finite donor supply as well as offer patients an ability to wear shorter hair styles due to its extraordinary healing ability ?

We really don’t know what to expect just yet. We are trying our best to carry out a study to find out if there is a foundation for a new way of treating hair loss. Ideally, if ACell works with plucked hairs and our clinical research shows this, then the infinite donor supply could be a reality. But let us not get ahead of ourselves.

We promise to keep everyone informed!

Tags: acell, hairloss, hair loss, donor supply

Follow-Up – Dr Cooley’s ISHRS ACell Presentation

/by William Rassman, M.D./7 /,

ISHRS 2010One commenter to my post from a couple weeks ago asked about my recollection of the Jerry Cooley, M.D. presentation at the ISHRS meeting on the use of ACell and hair multiplication. The comment was: “The doc still has not addressed why in his previous post about Acell he said Dr. Cooley’s results are less than 50% growth while Dr. Cooley has maintained all along – and proved – that his results are actually 75% regrowth and rising as he refines his technique.”

I went back to my notes from that meeting. The following is the abstract published by Dr. Cooley: “ACell MatriStem MicroMatrix is an FDA approved agent for wound healing. Use in other fields has demonstrated benefits for healing injuries as an adjunct to surgery. The author shares anecdotal experience using this product over the past 18 months. Areas covered include the effects of MatriStem on strip harvest healing. FUE and punch harvest sites, standard FU grafts as well as its use with the so-called ‘autocloning’ technique in which plucked hair is used for grafting. Initial results are promising and hopefully continued research will help define the potential role of this agent in hair restoration.”

From my notes, Dr. Cooley discussed the variable results from his work with hair growth after the plucked procedure was done. He did mention that over the course of his work, the survival of plucked hairs increased. The 75% number made by the commenting individual may have reflected Dr. Cooley’s end survival, but my notes were not clear on this subject. Unfortunately, I could not find a written summary written by Dr. Cooley that discussed his study over a large number of patients. My memory of his discussion may not have been clear. So I called him.

Dr. Cooley suggested the number be anywhere between 50-80%, though he did also say, “I would be hesitant to claim the upper number at this time.” There is little doubt that even a 50% new hair success rate would be a terrific breakthrough. As we progress with our own double blind study and a statistically significant group of patients, the actual numbers should become evident.

Tags: dr cooley, jerry cooley, acell, hair multiplication, hair loss, hairloss

More Info About NHI’s ACell Study

/by William Rassman, M.D./4 /,

ACellI want to respond to some questions and comments I’ve received about our previous post about the ACell study we’re starting. The presentation at the ISHRS meeting was clear that the use of the ACell matrix with plucked hairs can stimulate growth. The process of doing this may not be as simple as it appears to be for many physicians.

First of all, the plucked hairs are usually a single hair with minimal tissue to protect it from harm when they are handled and/or exposed to the air during the transfer process. The surgeons who offer this have to be skilled to manage one-hair grafts without killing them. The application of the ACell Matrix has may nuances associated with it, so the doctors who “experiment” with this technique must build a process that works over and over again. It is also important to understand that the newly formed follicles will contain tissue from the donor area (the plucked hair) and tissue from the recipient area (the part of the follicle induced by the hair/ACell/tissue interaction). Since some of the follicle is derived the recipient area, we can’t be sure that it will cycle as a normal hair or even be totally permanent.

Over the years we have developed many processes that have led to many of today’s standards in hair transplantation, such as FUE, FUT, megasessions, and dense packing. We have consistently published our work in peer reviewed medical journals and have brought science to the world of clinical hair transplantation, advancing the standard of care over and over again. Our team (Dr. Jae Pak and myself in LA, Dr. Robert Bernstein and Dr. Eric Schweiger in NY) have put our heads together to build a process that, we believe, will afford our patients the best opportunity to benefit from the hair multiplication process and help the industry command the process better and with more certainty.

We are not of the belief that what we are doing with regard to hair multiplication is for everyone, or that everyone should rush into the process before the results of our work (and that of others) are completed. For select patients who are interested in participating in clinical trials or being treated outside the studies at this time, we would be happy to evaluate you to discuss this during a consultation. Remember, this process may not be for everyone at this time.

Tags: acell, nhi, hair multiplication, hair loss, hairloss, hair growth, bernstein, rassman

ACell Hair Multiplication Study at NHI

/by William Rassman, M.D./14 /, ,

ACellLast week I wrote about the ACell presentation at the recent International Society for Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) meeting that may have opened the possibility for a patient’s hair to be multiplied in his or her own scalp. ACell’s MatriStem has had some early success with growing hairs that were plucked and then placed into recipient sites on the patient’s scalp, and although this is a major breakthrough, significant work remains before this becomes a practical hair loss treatment.

For those that missed my post from last week, here is a little background —

    ACell, Inc. has developed and refined an Extracellular Matrix (ECM), a natural biological material derived from porcine (pig) tissue. When ACell’s MatriStem product is placed into a surgical site or wound, it is reabsorbed and replaced with new, more supple tissue, rather than a firm scar. The ECM stimulates the body’s own cells to form new tissue specific to that site. When applied to hairs plucked from elsewhere on the body, this is called “auto-cloning”, as new hairs are derived from the process.

We are currently studying the use of ACell for scalp hair multiplication (auto-cloning) as well as the facilitation of wound healing in follicular unit transplantation procedures. For those individuals interested in auto-cloning, we will be happy to see you in the office for a more in-depth discussion of the opportunity. Details will not be discussed over the phone but will be covered by the doctor during your consultation.

People interested in working with us in a study can participate at no cost, but because of the newness of the process, we will be selective as to which patients we accept. A limited number of patients who are not selected for a study may be eligible to obtain this procedure as well for a special fee. We will also be using ACell in the donor area of on our traditional strip surgery patients to promote better wound healing at no additional cost. Please call my office at 310-553-9113 to set up an appointment for a qualifying examination.

Tags: acell, hair multiplication, new hair institute, matristem, hair multiplication

Live from ISHRS 2010 Meeting in Boston — ACell Discussion

/by William Rassman, M.D./26 /, , ,

Hi Doctor,

I am assuming you’re attending the ISHRS meeting and was hoping you could attend the ACell discussion to report your opinion on your blog. Here’s the press release that caught my eye: MatriStem in Hair Restoration at Annual Scientific Meeting

Thanks

ISHRS 2010I’m actually in Boston at the International Society for Hair Restoration (ISHRS) Scientific Meeting, and wrote this on my little netbook to get you a timely response.

The ACell material is reportedly derived from Porcine urinary bladder. Here’s a good, short description of ACell’s product from another conference they attended: “MatriStem® devices are a naturally occurring, completely resorbable, acellular, extracellular matrix. Different collagens, bioactive components and intact basement membrane help surgical sites remodel by supporting the growth of new blood vessels, connective tissue and muscle.”

At the ISHRS meeting, two doctors presented its use in plucked hairs. Hairs were plucked out of the beard or side hair and amongst these hairs the best ones were identified. The ACell was applied to the plucked hairs and then placed into recipient sites. Some of these hairs grew (less than 50%), but the good news is that supposedly the site where the hair was plucked also grew out a hair. The data is very sketchy and there is clearly no well identified process — no right way or wrong way to do this. But in theory, new hairs come from the process. If what was presented is accurate, then the dream of something for nothing (hairs that are essentially replicated) produces more hair than what was there prior to the procedure.

This MicroMatrix has experience of use in keloids, other types of wounds, and in the treatment of lacerations, ulcers of the skin (diabetic and vascular in origin), and burns. From what was presented, a great deal of interest was generated, but there is much research that needs to be done before it can or should be offered to the public. I suspect that the research will be on the fast track as many doctors saw the opportunity to make more hairs than they started with.

Tags: micromatrix, acell, hair cloning, hair multiplication, ishrs