Category: Hair Cloning

This post is a follow-up to a question that was previously asked (see How Would Hair Multiplication Grow Hair In the Right Direction?) relating to controlling hair direction if one injected cells into the skin for hair multiplication.

If there is a mature hair follicle, then the hairs would have to be carefully placed for direction control and depth control. If hair is placed too deeply, then the hair will not grow through the skin, but will be attacked by your immune system as a foreign ‘invading’ body and destroyed. If it is placed in anything but the exact correct direction, it will not grow in the normal direction. If the hair is placed as a ‘stem cell’ that could be controlled (a big stretch in thinking), exact placement of the cell may be critical to actually growing hair. If is is a cell or a series of cells that would grow hair, would the new follicle know up from down (like a plant seed)? Clearly, there will be an art to growing hair when and if it can be done.

Dear Dr.,

Now that Intercytex have moved into Phase II trials has aderans given up on their research for hair multiplication? Are they still pursuing with their version of the treatment? If so, do you know the status of their development? I thought you may have heard from ome of your contacts at the IHRS meeting in October. Many thanks for a very informative blog.

From attending the ISHRS conference last month and also being present at the Aderans presentation, there is nothing groundbreaking to report here. Aderans is continuing on with their research.

Hello Dr,
I have been looking at articles in relation to hair cloning recently and something caught my attention. Researchers are warning that the first available hair multiplication procedures won’t give a full head of hair. If this is the case do you think hair multiplication will be able to give a full head of hair in the near future? Do you think these kinks will be ironed out? Your views on this would be much appreciated.

The solution where one hair can make many, is years away. We really do not understand the process and can not replicate it at this time. Too much hype, in my opinion and years away from a solution. When ever I report this, I get many emails that knock my pessimism — but I can’t please everyone.

Dr. Rassman,

Thanks for taking time out from your busy schedule to help answer our questions.

I was quite interested in one of your blog entries about Hair multiplication and the process that is involved with it. You mentioned a failed experiment by Dr. Unger where the new injected hair did not settle in well. For all of us looking for the answer to hair loss, i am sure safety is the most important.

My question is that if Intercytex has completed phase I (safety trails) this means that they have overcome one major obstacle that should be put to rest.

If not, that does Dr. Unger have any more comments?

Thanks once again for your time and work.

Just because phase I trials were completed, it does not necessarily mean the technology is valid. Phase II and phase III still need to be completed, then followed by FDA trials. Based on the Intercytex presentation at the ISHRS meeting I attended last month in San Diego, phase II trials should be completed by the end of 2008.

Personally, I would not hold my breath.

Hello Dr. Rassman,

Intercytex has completed phase I human trials of their hair multiplication product ICX-TRC. The founder of the company, Dr. Paul Kemp, was one of the phase I trials volunteers. Phase II trials have recently begun in the U.K. and may be expanded to the U.S. sometime during 2007. Although there are always roadblocks that can slow progress, they are working towards phase III trials in late 2007/2008 in both the U.K. and U.S. and then the final FDA review for the 12-18 months following. This timeline would bring us to around 2010.

If they have already completed phase I and have started phase II, why do many in the hair transplant community still think it’s many, many years away until hair multiplication is a reality?

I was at the ISHRS conference in San Diego a week ago and more importantly to your question, I was in attendance for the Intercytex presentation at this event. It was stated that the phase II trials will end in 2008. Intercytex’s presentation, while enthusiastic, did not include any human volunteer examples or mention a specific (near future) time line. Anyone can assume and put a guess to a when and if hair multiplication would be a reality. But, considering that the completion of phase II trials is still two years away, it is virtually impossible to state when/if it would become a reality. There are still many obstacles ahead.

I have been reading many articles on Intercytex recently suggesting that a ‘baldness cure’ is on the way. I am aware that it may be a fair few years away until it becomes a possibilty, but I had a technical question that might be of interest. I know that the company’s aim is to inject hair inducing cells into the skin. This sounds great in theory, but how would they create a crown, seeing that hair in that region of the scalp grows in different directions? How do you think problems such as that could be overcome?

Over a decade ago, Dr. Walter Unger reported that a group in England was successful in cloning hair in mice. The mice then had the hair injected into the skin and as the hair grew, all of the mice died from massive infection. It was as you said, the direction of the hair went every way possible and the bacteria in the vicinity went wild, causing infection and abscess formation, eventually killing the poor mice. According to that report, the research was abandoned. I will see him this week and ask him for a follow-up of that problem, hopefully getting information to give you are more focused answer to your question.

Hi Dr Rassman,

I am a student journalist from City University London, England. I am researching a story on Intercytex and their development of the treatment ICX-TRC. I have a couple of questions about the therapy that you may be able to help me with.

• Is the use of cell cloning new to hair regeneration or has research already been carried out into this type of method?
• Will it be a matter of years or even decades before we see this method in commercial operation, if at all?

Thanks in advance

Best to check with the company, Intercytex. This type of research has been on going for some time.

I’ve heard stem cell treatments can regrow hair. Is this correct. And can you give details please.

“In fact, many of the experiments that are successful in producing some hair, also produce other organ tissues like bone and muscle.” This quote came from an article you published. It says many experiments are successful in producing hair. Where and when can we get this treatment? Thank you.

Cloning, new drugs and stem cells are no where near for the treatment of hair loss. This article from 2004, despite the misleading title, does summarize where we might be down the road — Hair Cloning Nears Reality as Baldness Cure.