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

In the News – Unihair (Aderans) Hopes Hair Cloning Will Increase Sales

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /

Snippet from the article:

Unihair of Japan, the world’s biggest wigmaker, is hoping for a big increase in sales through what might be regarded as the ultimate cutting-edge technology – a method to “grow” luxuriant displays of new hair on a person’s scalp.

The method uses cell-generation processes derived from pharmaceuticals research. “We see a tremendous number of possibilities [from the new process],” said Tadao Otsuki, Unihair’s chief executive. “It adds up to a fundamental shift in how the world can combat problems of baldness.”

With the help of the new techniques, based on ideas developed in the US and which are now undergoing clinical trials, Unihair is hoping to increase its annual sales roughly three-fold, from Y57.3bn ($706m) in the year to February 2010, to about Y150bn in 2017.

Fingers crossedRead the full story from the Financial Times — Unihair gets a grip on baldness

There is a big difference between what we hope to achieve with using ACell in hair transplantation to multiply hairs in an ‘auto-cloning’ manner and what Unihair (formerly Aderans prior to September of this year) is trying to do with cloning hair outside of the head in a lab.

It’s in the best interest of patients that these technologies work, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Tags: unihair, aderans, hair cloning, hairloss, hair loss

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

In the News – Hair Cloning Expected to Be the Future

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /

Snippet from the article:

Cloning will represent a major advance in hair transplantation when it is ready for prime time. It remains elusive for now, but new clinical therapies — along with older standbys — are helping hair loss patients in the meantime, according to a leading specialist in hair transplantation.

One of the factors limiting hair transplantation is donor density. Individuals without good donor density can be less-than-ideal candidates for hair transplantation, notes Nicole Rogers, M.D., F.A.A.D., dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon and clinical professor, Tulane University, New Orleans. The potential for cloning leaves physicians hopeful for now.

“That would be the Holy Grail,” Dr. Rogers says. “It would be great if we could harvest a single hair from the back (of the head) and create thousands of copycat hairs from that. There is significant research ongoing in that area, but we are not there yet. It’s still going to be a while before it is ready for Food and Drug Administration approval.”

Read the full text at Dermatology Times

Dermatology TimesI just wanted to post this to show that I’m not just some curmudgeon when it comes to advancements in hair cloning. I still get emails from some readers with an accusatory tone when it comes to my opinion on hair cloning, and I suppose they’d rather me post false hope instead of the actual truth. The article points out the same things I’ve been saying for years — hair cloning is not ready for prime time and although there are companies working on it, there’s no chance this will be ready for the public soon.

When hair cloning finally does become a reality, you can be sure that we’ll be writing about it here. Right now though, it’s still far too early to get overly excited.

Tags: cloning, hair cloning, hairloss, hair loss

You Can’t Compare Cloning Advances Today with Promises Made Decades Ago

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

Hey Doc. Thanks again for your blog. Last night I was pondering the future and was wondering whether or not you could help me with something that has been niggling away at me for a couple of weeks now.

Can you please give us a history on the failed ideas and companies that made promises for a hair loss cure 20 – 50 years ago. Just the ones that had any scientific merit would suffice, well of course the others might provide some good comic relief so its your call ;)

My own thoughts are as follows, food for thought?

It is my understanding that the failed promises of 50 years ago did not include stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and whatever modern approach to ‘hair cloning’, companies like Histogen and Aderans use today. They simply could not have had today’s recent scientific break through technology to back them up.

In which case what where the promises back in the day? Or were the doctors of 50 years ago merely just saying that ‘there will be a cure in 3-5 years’ to spread hope. Very kind of them.

What about Propecia people may say? I agree that Propecia has been around for a long time but that was an accidental find by researchers hunting out a cure for mens prostate problems. In other words exactly like your recent article on how researchers discovered they could change human cells from one type of cell to a skin cell complete with hair follicles. In that article you state why would they change their research. Well I’d say for exactly the same reason that Propecia did when they accidentally became a billion dollar company.

Today we see companies like Histogen, Aderans, and a few others that are actually showing positive results and backing them up with photographs. If they are legitimate images then the future looks promising. By promising who couldn’t do with just a little more transplant hair – maybe if we’re lucky Histogen will be able to simply increase the yield in our donor areas. That alone would be fantastic.

50 years ago things were different. Nobody had heard of, or at least practised, things like Nano Technology or Stem Cell research. I wasn’t even born. We didn’t have cellphones and the US military were not growing peoples limbs back!

With all the modern changes going on I’m just not sure if it is helpful to compare today’s tech with the tech of 50 years ago. All I hear is that 20-50 years ago they promised us that there will be a cure in 3-5 years. Well what were they promising – I’d love to know :)

Yours with love to all my balding brethren.

In regards to the accidental stem cell follicle discovery, I suppose it depends on the priorities of the researchers on whether they want to switch gears or start another study. It could be that the news of their accidental discovery was made public to garner interest in the project and to take on investors. I’m just guessing here, though.

Propecia is made by Merck, a large pharmaceutical company that didn’t become a billion dollar company by accident and makes more medication than just Propecia… but I see what you’re getting at and agree that money talks.

I do thank you for the input, but I am not a cloning expert nor a historian on cloning of hair. I could spend weeks or more researching the paths taken in hair loss cures over the past 50 years, and while it would likely make for interesting reading, it is beyond my scope at this time. What I do know is that doctors have been stating and vaguely projecting that cloning of hair is on the horizon within most of our lifetimes. I certainly hope that is the case, but the timelines have been moving with such frequency that it’s easy for people to grow skeptical until there’s an actual working model in place.

Tags: hair cloning, medical advances, hairloss, hair loss, cloning

Dr Farjo Discusses the ICX-TRC Cell Therapy Clinical Trial

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

The following post is by UK-based physician Dr. Bessam Farjo:


Written by:
Dr Bessam Farjo, United Kingdom
Dr Bessam Farjo
United Kingdom

I’m often asked about the ICX-TRC Cell Therapy Human Clinical Trial and whether or not it was successful. For those of you who don’t know, the trial was (in very simple terms) the development of a therapy whereby cells are sourced from an individual, multiplied, and then returned to that same individual. Take a look at the Farjo website for a more detailed account.

For anyone who has experienced any form of hair loss, the idea that your own existing hair follicles can be multiplied and re-implanted is a huge breakthrough.

Initial results were very encouraging, with an excellent percentage success rate seen within the test areas of the trial subjects.

Unfortunately, whilst the ICX-TRC trial results appeared positive, another unrelated Intercytex project was having less success. As a result of this and Intercytex being listed on the stock market (to make a long story short) the project’s funding was cut, putting an end to the activity – for the time being. The global credit crunch exacerbated matters further.

In 2010, the different divisions of the company were broken down and sold off to different interested parties. The ICX-TRC trial was acquired by Aderans Research (ARI) in the USA, who are continuing to do trials on this subject.

Cell therapy is still an exciting and promising area for the future; however it has proved to be a complicated study that still holds lots of unanswered questions. We’re still very much committed to the concept as well as other exciting areas, and hope to have the opportunity to discover the answers to some of these questions soon – watch this space!

—

Learn more about the author of this article, Dr. Bessam Farjo, on his BaldingBlog profile or at his website.

Tags: intercytex, icx-trc, hair loss, hairloss, hair cloning, hair multiplication, farjo

Is Hair Cloning a Viable Option in My Lifetime?

/by William Rassman, M.D./1 /

Hi Doctor,

I was speaking with my grandfather the other day about our family history concerning hairloss. He’s been at about a 6 on the Norwood Scale for as long as I can remember. I am 19 years old and I’m starting to see the first signs of recession at the temples. He mentioned something he heard about hair cloning. What is your opinion on the technique, and do you think it will be a viable alternative to finasteride and hair transplantation in the near future? Thanks for your time.

We have written about hair cloning (or lack thereof) many times before. There are groups that are working on it, but people have been flocking to message boards to show their excitement prematurely. Hair cloning is in the very early stages, and while there have been some promising advances it is still far too early to suggest this is a winner. There are still many more years of testing to go.

I would like to hope that hair cloning will be a reality in our lifetime, but I really do not have a guess as to when.

Tags: hair cloning, hairloss, hair loss

What Could Cause Histogen to Fail?

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

Hi Doc,

i’m sure you heard and saw Histogen’s Pilot Study and the general comment i saw in all the forums were that is really promising. i hope you can answer my question..

what do you see that MAY be a downfall in Histogen HSC plan? and do you think its results are more promising than hair cloning? i know that we have been hearing the quote “3 to 5 years time” BUT i dont think science had ever had such results than now so things are moving i guess..

HistogenI suppose the downfall could be the same for any new company in this space — financial backing. If the trials don’t go as well as expected, it may be harder to secure additional funds to keep making progress. I’m just speaking in generalities though.

I do not follow Histogen’s business or science plans close enough to scrutinize its progress, so I do not really have an opinion on its technology. The last I read about the HSC pilot program, it looked promising but only had a couple dozen participants… and it wasn’t known if the results would last for any significant amount of time.

It may be the hope to most (if not all) readers out there for a cure to balding, and I could only share the same hopes as any other.

Tags: histogen, hairloss, hair loss

Would Getting a Hair Transplant Give Me Cloning Priority at NHI?

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

Dr. Rassman I have an odd question for you. I plan to have a hair transplant with you in the near future. Playing devils advocate here, let’s say that hair cloning is a viable option in five years and the demand would be great.

Would having a prior surgery with you give me an advantage of getting this procedure done sooner? (i.e. cutting in line)

Thank you for your time.

First and foremost, having posted over 8000 questions on this site and answering some real doozies, I don’t think yours is all that odd.

Hair cloning just means there will be more hairs available for transplantation and you will not be limited to the donor hair. With respect to priority, our surgeries are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis… but when it comes to procedures done with hair cloning, it’s all hypothetical at this point. I’d like to hope that in 5 years from now we’ll be transplanting with cloned hair, but that remains to be seen.

We look forward to seeing you!

Tags: hair cloning, hair transplant, hairloss, hair loss

Doctor Says Hair Cloning Will Be Available in 2 Years!

/by William Rassman, M.D./15 /

One of the doctors in this article says that hair cloning will be on the market in 2-3 years. Thoughts?

Link: Huge Breakthroughs In The War On Baldness

I always find the prediction of when hair cloning will be available to be interesting. For the past 19 years since I entered this field, the predictions on cloning have always been 2-3 years out. I am hopeful as all of you, but any breakthrough will take years to work its way through the FDA.

Tags: hair cloning, hair loss, hairloss

Aderans Expands Clinical Studies

/by William Rassman, M.D./6 /,

I´ve found updates from Histogen and Aderans. What can you say about this? Thank you.

Histogen: Hypoxia Induces Stem Cell Gene Expression, Protein Production and Cell Surface Markers

Aderans: Aderans Research Expands Clinical Studies

Thanks for sending these links. Each press release speaks for itself. The Histogen press release isn’t specifically about their hair loss treatment (they have multiple products unrelated to hair loss treatment), but the Aderans Phase 2 clinical trials expansion is for hair regeneration. Once the studies have concluded, they will hopefully be published with the FDA and then we will know better about what is offered.

Tags: aderans, histogen, hair cloning, hair regeneration, hairloss, hair loss

Blindly Following Hair Loss Treatment Companies

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

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!

Tags: hairloss, hair loss, histogen, hair cloning, hair transplant, propecia

Years Later, Is Hair Cloning Any Closer?

/by William Rassman, M.D./9 /

Dear Dr,

I remember first coming to your site back in 2006 when I first started noticing that I was thinning. I was obviously upset by this, but was excited about the possibility of hair cloning being 5-10 years away. The idea that you could get all your hair back was very appealing. Now 4 years have passed and I feel frustrated that very little has advanced in this field. I have seen the likes of Aderans, Intercytex, Histogen and Follica all make statements that they are on track to solve the problem, but no one seems any closer.

Do you think we are ever going to see this come to fruition or is it too difficult to crack? Also, what other potential ‘cures’ are being developed? Surely if someone achieves this they will become a billionaire. There is obviously lots of incentive. If you believe we see a ‘cure’ when do you think this will be. By cure I mean someone with extensive baldness being able to get all their hair back.

As I’ve said many times before (which is usually met with much criticism by some readers that think they know better), I wouldn’t hold my breath. We all want to wait for the next breakthrough, the next best thing, the next version, etc.

The idea of being able to clone hair for infinite supply is tantalizing, but I have not seen anything remotely close on the horizon. Based on press releases, some of these companies seem to be making small steps here and there, but we’re a long way off before seeing successful hair cloning available to the public. I do hope it would be in my lifetime, because my business will sky rocket! I mean, who better to do these cloning procedures than experienced hair physicians?

Tags: hair cloning, cloned hair, hairloss, hair loss, cloning