Bald truth: plucking hair out can stimulate growth, study finds

Bald truth: plucking hair out can stimulate growth, study finds

Hannah Devlin, science correspndent

@hannahdev Thursday 9 April 2015 17.02 BST Last modified on Thursday 9 April 2015 17.03 BSTSource: theguardian.com  

Although it seems counterintuitive, tests indicate that plucked follicles ‘communicate’, causing an immune response that leads to regrowth

Could this discovery be used to tackle baldness and alopecia? 
Tests are at an early stage, but could provide a solution in the future. Photograph: Asger Carlsen/Getty Images

Baldness is often dreaded by men and there are few, if any, satisfactory options for reversing it. Now scientists have discovered a potential solution, after showing that plucking hair out could actually stimulate growth.

The counterintuitive discovery, in mice, demonstrates a previously unknown method for triggering hair regeneration. Although the work is at an early stage, the authors believe the same process could be helpful for tackling hair loss in men or people with alopecia.

Philip Murray, of Dundee University and a co-author, said the findings now need to be tested in people. “It would be a bit of a leap of faith to expect this to work in bald men without doing more experiments,” he said.

The study found that when hairs were plucked in a specific configuration, follicles in the skin were prompted to send out a “distress” signal that led to even more hairs growing back. Plucking our 200 hairs triggered the growth of up to 1,200 replacement hairs in the mice, the study found.

Tests showed that the plucked follicles signal distress by releasing inflammatory proteins, which cause immune cells to rush to the site. In turn, these send out signals to all neighbouring follicles indicating that it is time to grow more hair.

“We’ve made a discovery about how hair communicates when it’s distressed,” said Murray.

The study, published in the journal Cell, showed that the pattern in which the hair was plucked played an important role in the strength of the “distress” signalling process. The researchers tested this by plucking 200 hair follicles, one by one, in different configurations on the back of a mouse. When plucking the hairs in a low-density pattern from an area more than six millimetres across, no hairs regenerated. However, higher-density plucking from circular areas with diameters between three and five millimetres triggered the regeneration of between 450 and 1,300 hairs – and the regeneration sometimes spilled out beyond the plucked area.

The authors believe that hair follicles do not simply respond individually to being plucked, but also communicate between themselves - something called “quorum sensing” - and effectively make a group decision about the level of immune response that is necessary. In the case of widely spaced plucking, the follicles are too far apart to be able to signal collectively. However, when the damage is tightly packed a more extreme response is mounted, leading to much stronger hair regrowth.

A potential drawback in balding men might be that their hairs are already too sparsely spaced for the approach to be helpful.

“It is a good example of how basic research can lead to a work with potential translational value,” said Cheng-Ming Chuong, professor of pathology at the University of Southern California and lead author.

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RepliCel Life Sciences’ Licensing Partner, Shiseido, Opens Cell Processing and Expansion Facility in Japan to Advance RCH-01, a Treatment for Pattern Baldness

RepliCel Life Sciences’ Licensing Partner, Shiseido, Opens Cell Processing and Expansion Facility in Japan to Advance RCH-01, a Treatment for Pattern Baldness

May 20, 2014
Source: replicel.com 

VANCOUVER, BC – May 20, 2014 – RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. (OTCQB: REPCF) (TSXV: RP) a clinical stage regenerative medicine company focused on the development of autologous cell therapies, is pleased to announce that its RCH-01 licensing partner, Shiseido, celebrated the opening of its new cell-processing facility at the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC) located on Port Island, Japan on May 18, 2014. Dignitaries, physicians, partner companies, and government representatives were in attendance at this important event. Shiseido’s state-of-the-art facility will focus on the continued research and development, and the commercialization of RepliCel’s RCH-01 hair regeneration technology.

“Shiseido has been working diligently on the construction of their facility and we congratulate them on their efficiency and commitment to building a world-class cell research and development centre capable of handling all aspects of the RCH-01 technology from hair follicle biopsy through to cell replication and patient treatment,” commented David M. Hall, CEO of RepliCel Life Sciences. “We continue to support Shiseido with its highly focused development towards commercialization of RCH-01 as a treatment for pattern baldness.”

The KBIC is a complex of medical-related industries located on the 833-hectare man-made island of Port Island in Kobe, Japan. Working in cooperation with academic research institutions, government organisations, and industry, the island has been developed as a focal point for research and development of highly advanced medical technologies with the goal of streamlining processes from research to clinical application and commercialization.

Regenerative medicine in Japan is an emerging industry which the government has designated as an important part of its economic reform. Legislative support has come from the introduction of new laws to expedite otherwise lengthy clinical research and trial application processes to promote competitive advantage in the international market. In November 2013, as one of the new economic reform strategies, the Japanese government passed the Regenerative Medicine Law, which ensures safety of regenerative medicine, and approved revisions to its existing Pharmaceutical Affairs Law to improve the timelines for the development of regenerative medicine and to promote commercialization. Shiseido has entered into this field via its licensing agreement with RepliCel and is committed to its advancement and success.

Licensing Agreement

On July 11, 2013, RepliCel and Shiseido announced the completion of a Collaboration and Technology Transfer Agreement, giving Shiseido an exclusive geographic license to use RCH-01 hair regeneration technology in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the ASEAN countries Shiseido and RepliCel will collaborate on the continued improvement of the technology and will conduct human clinical trials in each of their territories with the goal of commercializing a safe and effective hair regenerative treatment to help those suffering from pattern baldness and thinning hair.

RCH-01 has been developed over 10 years of scientific research, and safe application in humans was validated during RepliCel’s phase 1 clinical trial. RepliCel has patents issued for hair follicle mesenchymal stem cells and their usage in Japan, the United States, Australia and the EU. RCH-01 is an autologous cell-based hair regenerative technology whereby specific hair follicle cells are isolated from a scalp biopsy, expanded in culture at a cell processing facility and injected back into patients.

About the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster and Shiseido’s Facility

More than 260 domestic and international companies have built R&D facilities focusing on regenerative medicine, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and devices in the research park, taking advantage of the opportunities for collaboration and synergy that the KBIC fosters. Centralised support services facilitate clinical research, commercialisation, consultations on pharmaceutical development issues and financing, and the establishment of comprehensive platforms for biomedical research and development. The Business Support Centre for Biomedical Research Activities has been built to support and to provide space for research and commercialization of regenerative medicine. This facility is divided into two sections, research and cell-processing. Shiseido’s Cell-Processing and Expansion Centre (SPEC) is located in the cell processing section, Room 620, 1-5-5 Minamimachi, Minatojima, Chuoku, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.

About RepliCel Life Sciences

RepliCel is a regenerative medicine company focused on developing autologous cell therapies that treat functional cellular deficits including chronic tendinosis, pattern baldness and skin aging. Initiation of Phase 2 trials are planned for 2014 on RepliCel’s RCT-01 treatment for Achilles tendinosis and RCH-01 treatment for pattern baldness. Shiseido Company, Limited has an exclusive geographic license for RCH-01 in certain Asian countries including Japan, China and South Korea. Both product candidates are based on RepliCel’s innovative technology which utilizes cells isolated from a patient’s own healthy hair follicles to address specific cellular deficits. These products are built on the company’s proprietary manufacturing platforms. For additional information please visit www.replicel.com.

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RepliCel Reports Progress on Shiseido Technology Transfer for RCH-01 Treatment for Pattern Baldness

RepliCel Reports Progress on Shiseido Technology Transfer for RCH-01 Treatment for Pattern Baldness

December 19, 2013

Source: replicel.com 

Vancouver, Canada – December 19, 2013 – RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. (OTCQB: REPCF) (CNSX: RP) today reported on the progress of its technology transfer agreement with its partner, Shiseido Company, Limited.

Recently, a group from Shiseido met with RepliCel management and advisors in Vancouver, BC to continue the technology transfer between the two companies as outlined in the July 9, 2013 licensing agreement. The Shiseido team spent three weeks in the lab with RepliCel’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Kevin McElwee and Director, Research and Development, Dr. Hisae Nakamura learning techniques of specific hair follicle cell isolation and replication methods for RCH-01.  Furthermore, RepliCel’s Vice-President of Clinical Affairs, Darrell Panich reviewed progress to date in the clinical development program of RCH-01 and discussed the plans for future development in the companies’ respective regions.

During this past quarter, Dr. Nakamura and representatives from the Shiseido team visited RepliCel’s contract Good Manufacturing Practice compliant facility in Innsbruck, Austria.  It was during this visit that the transfer of RCH-01 manufacturing technology between the two companies and its contract manufacturer was initiated.

“These meetings have done much to foster the collaborative relationship between RepliCel and Shiseido and both companies are committed to working very closely on the successful development of RCH-01,” said Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Kevin McElwee. “Both teams will continue in-depth research and development in the laboratory and clinical trials with the goal of commercializing a safe and effective hair regenerative treatment to help those suffering from pattern baldness and thinning hair.”  In this regard, RepliCel expects to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial for RCH-01 in the EU in the first half of 2014.  In addition, both companies will work towards establishing a clinical research program in Asia with the goal of increasing the available human clinical data on RCH-01.  Collaborative technology transfer will continue between the companies as any new improvements to the RCH-01 technology are developed by either party.

As per the agreement, Shiseido will have an exclusive geographic license to use RepliCel’s RCH-01 hair regeneration technology in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and the ASEAN countries representing a population of approximately 2.1 billion people.

New Regenerative Medicine Legislation Passed in Japan

On November 20, 2013 the Japanese Legislature approved new legislation targeted at improving the development and regulatory processes for regenerative medicine therapies. The Regenerative Medicine Law directs the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to adopt new procedures and rules that will accelerate the clinical development of regenerative medicine and cell therapies. The Japanese Pharmaceutical Affairs Law will now become the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act that will include a new branch specifically for Regenerative Medicine Products, which will be regulated on a fast track process that focuses primarily on product safety. Under the law, the government is responsible for mapping out and implementing measures to safely accelerate research and development projects and make regenerative medicine widely available in the country. The law specifically stipulates that the government must make basic plans for the promotion of regenerative medicine and change such plans if necessary by reviewing them at least every three years in light of any changes in external conditions that may occur. This news positively impacts RepliCel and its licensing partner, Shiseido, as it looks to conduct human clinical trials on RCH-01.

About RepliCel Life Sciences
RepliCel is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing autologous cell therapies.  RepliCel Tendon-01 (RCT-01) is a cell therapy for the treatment of chronic tendon injuries.  RepliCel Hair-01 (RCH-01) is a cellular treatment for androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness). Shiseido Company, Limited has an exclusive geographic license for RCH-01 in certain Asian countries including Japan, China and South Korea. Both product candidates are based on RepliCel’s innovative technology which utilizes cells isolated from a patient’s own healthy hair follicles to address specific cellular deficits.  For additional information please visit www.replicel.com.

About Shiseido Company, Limited

Shiseido was established in 1872 as Japan’s first Western-style pharmacy.  Since then, the company has led the cosmetic technology and culture in Japan over more than 100 years.  The company now aspires to become a “global player to represent Asia with origins in Japan” and operate businesses all over the world, including Europe, the U.S. and Asia.  Its representative global brand, “SHISEIDO” is now sold in 89 countries and regions as of April 2013.

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Cloning: The future in hair transplants

Cloning: The future in hair transplants

Date: Visited September 7th, 2013
Source: ilterclinic.com

At the Ilter Clinic, we pay constant attention to new scientific and technical advancements in hair transplantation. We are also active in researching new progress in the field so that ever-better techniques may be developed in the future.



High-tech research is providing new hope. These methods are still far from becoming commercially available, but gene therapy and cloning may one day reduce limitations we face in the donor area.

Gene therapy

The idea behind gene therapy is to introduce new DNA into a patient’s hair cells. The new DNA would prevent cells from being affected by the DHT (dihydrotestosteron) hormone that causes Male Pattern Baldness.



However, the research is still in its infancy. Some genes have already been identified as the cause behind hair loss, but there are still many other factors to be considered. With this in mind, a great deal of research needs to be done before gene therapy becomes a reality.

Hair cloning

Cloning hair follicles is a new technology. Even though it is considered something of a Holy Grail for people suffering from hair loss because of the potential for an unlimited supply of hair from a single strand, cloning hair follicles is keenly debated. There have been exciting breakthroughs, but the method needs another ten years of research before it is commercially available.

There are two organizations seriously researching a commercially viable way to multiply hair loss-resistant donor follicles. They are Aderans, headquartered in Japan, and Intercytex, based in England.

Hair cloning is a lay term for tissue-developed hair growth. The approach being pursued involves extracting single hair cells from the hair loss-resistant donor area and attempting to replicate them in the laboratory. These "dermal papilla" cells mature into hair follicles in a process known as follicular neogenesis. If they can be stimulated to multiply, then theoretically there is no limit to the number of hair follicles that could be grown in the laboratory and transplanted onto a person’s scalp.



However, controlling the direction of new hair growth from cloned follicles has been problematic. Many people believe hair cell implants will initially be used as filler hair, primarily on the top and crown areas, while critical areas such as the hairline will continue to receive transplants using conventional FUE grafts. Also, the cost of this laboratory-intensive procedure is expected to exceed conventional hair transplantation when it is introduced.

At this point in time, it is not recommended that patients wait for cloning. If and when hair cell implants arrive in the future, they could well be used to create even greater levels of density and fullness behind the transplanted hairline.

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Forget Rogaine: Grow your hair with this laser-light helmet

Forget Rogaine: Grow your hair with this laser-light helmet

The iGrow Hair Growth System uses low-level laser therapy to re-energize the cells at the follicle level and fight the dreaded receding hairline.

  by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore
August 1, 2013 1:04 PM PDT
Source: news.cnet.com

iGrow lets you listen to your favorite music, podcasts, or audiobooks mid-therapy.

(Credit: Apira Science)

Though its name may indicate otherwise, iGrow ain't your momma's Chia Pet. In fact, it's a high-tech hair growth system in the form of a laser-light helmet. And while it's been in the works for a few years, it's now the proud recipient of approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

More than 35 million men in the U.S. are afflicted with androgenetic alopecia, a condition commonly referred to as male pattern baldness, though it does occur in women as well. In men it can begin as early as the late teens, and it eventually affects more than half of men over the age of 50, while in women it doesn't usually kick in until after menopause.

The iGrow Hair Growth System works via 51 low-level red laser and LED lights to essentially re-energize cells in the follicles -- an approach called low-level laser therapy (LLLT) -- and has been shown to increase growth up to 39 percent after 16 weeks of therapy. Developer Apira Science says this is nearly twice as much growth at more than twice the speed of other LLLTs on the market.

It has been approved specifically for the promotion of hair growth in males with androgenetic alopecia and by prescription only, but Apira CEO Nicholas Brox said in a news release that the company is working on getting clearance for iGrow to be both over the counter and extended to women.

iGrow certainly has a lot going for it. It's hands-free, noninvasive, and boasts no known side effects, and it even comes with headphones so you can listen to your favorite tunes or talk shows while under the, er, laser.

The catch? It costs $695. But that includes a six-month money-back guarantee. Which is music to my ears.

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Treating Baldness is "Not Like Growing Grass"

Treating Baldness is "Not Like Growing Grass"

By Rose Eveleth

Date: June 8, 2012
Source: scientificamerican.com

Progress may seem slow, but new treatments for hair loss are underway

Plain Grass lawn

More than 40 percent of men in the U.S. will show signs of male-pattern baldness sometime between the ages of 18 and 49. But studies looking at the genomes of this group of men have failed to turn up a genetic cause, which makes a true cure seem an unlikely prospect. 

Treatments for male-pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, may be forthcoming, however. Recent work is homing in on three types, including one that was reported in March in the journal Science. In the new paper, George Cotsarelis of the University of Pennsylvania and his team found that a compound known as prostaglandin D2 (PD2) was elevated in the blood of men with male-pattern baldness. When they blocked PD2 receptors in mice, they ensured that the hair did not stop growing. Those blockers could be applied topically, Cotsarelis says.

He is also working on growing new hair. Researchers have noticed that if you wound a mouse, the animal generates new hair follicles as part of the healing process. The new follicles come from skin cells that turn into hair follicles through what is called the Wnt-mediated signaling pathway. It is the same pathway that helps you generate new hairs naturally as they fall out. Cotsarelis is working with a company to replicate that process.

A third approach, called follicular neogenesis, would allow doctors to remove, multiply and then reimplant the stem cells found inside a person’s hair follicles. So far, though, when researchers remove the stem cells and culture them, the cells appear to “forget” they were ever hair cells. Researchers are now attempting to figure out how to restore their “memory.”

As scientists continue to search for treatments to androgenic alopecia, they recommend patience. “People think of it like growing grass or something, but it’s nothing like that,” Cotsarelis says. “It’s like trying to treat cancer; it’s a complicated process.”

This article was published in print as "It's Not "Like Growing Grass"."

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'Hedgehog' may cure baldness

'Hedgehog' may cure baldness

by PAT HAGAN, Daily Mail
Source: dailymail.co.uk



Sonic the Hedgehog

A gene that 'switches on' hair growth when it's injected into the skin could one day offer hope to thousands of bald men. Scientists have discovered that the gene - which goes by the unlikely name of Sonic Hedgehog - can stir dormant hair follicles back to life.

The first tests on humans are being planned after laboratory studies on mice showed they grew thick tufts of new hair within two weeks of the treatment. If this success is repeated in human trials, a cure for baldness could be developed within the next few years.

The breakthrough treatment is potentially far more effective than the Propecia regrowth pills about to be launched in Britain.

Doctors who discovered the genetic therapy believe it will work best on sick patients who, for example, may have lost their hair through chemotherapy. But they are also confident it could trigger new hair growth in men who have 'pattern baldness' - where their hair has receded for no obvious reason.

Up to half of men over 40 and a significant number of women - may be affected by hair loss, and although new drugs are coming on the market, they have had mixed results and are not suitable for everybody.

The genetic breakthrough by scientists at the Institute of Genetic Medicine at Cornell University, New York, came after they decided to apply technology already being used to repair diseased hearts to the problem of hair loss. This involves identifying genes known to play an important part in the development of the body and deploying them to kick-start growth in organs that are giving up.

In the case of hair, scientists pinpointed the Sonic Hedgehog gene as the ideal candidate for the job. So-called because the researcher who first identified it thought its shape resembled the computer-game character, the gene plays a key role in the embryonic development of the brain, heart, lungs, skeleton, skin and hair.

It was injected into the mice to see if it could speed up the natural process of producing hair. To measure if hair around the site of the injection was growing, the black-haired mice were dyed blonde. After seven days, hair follicles around the patch being treated had sprung back into action and were showing signs of thickening. After just 14 days, shafts of black hair 1/2 cm long had emerged on the backs of the mice.

Everybody has this gene. And, as it seems to be involved in hair growth, we thought that if we turned up expression of the gene for a few days we could wake up sleeping hair follicles and make them grow,' says Dr Ronald Crystal, who led the research team.

'There are 100,000 hair follicles in your head when you are born and you don't get any more - that's it. 'But if you look at someone who has lost their hair through chemotherapy, they still have those follicles. It's the same for a man who is bald. He has hair follicles too, but they are sleeping.

'We don't have the slightest idea if this would work in bald men - humans are not just big mice. But we are hopeful.' Dr Crystal and his team are considering trying out the therapy on humans, and several leading drug companies have already expressed an interest in the technique.

But one of the biggest problems they face is that over-expression of the Sonic Hedgehog gene is directly linked to a type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma. This is the most common form of skin cancer in the UK with at least 30,000 new cases every year. During laboratory tests, none of the mice developed the condition. 'The mice are six months old now and so far as we can tell they look normal,' says Dr Crystal. 'There are no adverse effects and what we are essentially doing is accelerating the normal process.

There are 100,000 genes so you have to choose your gene carefully but it's not rocket science. 'It's the same technique we are using to grow new blood vessels in people with severe cardiovascular disease, though we use different genes.'

John Mason, president of the UK Institute of Trichologists experts in hair loss - said it was too early to judge whether the treatment could be the answer to baldness. 'I am rather negative about this. I doubt if there is anything in it, and if there is, then it's a long way away,' he said.

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Scientists' 'vampire treatment' for baldness

Scientists' 'vampire treatment' for baldness

By Jasper Copping
7:30AM BST 05 May 2013
Source: telegraph.co.uk

Scientists believe among others the treatment
 could help male-pattern baldness (Photo: gettyimages.com)

Scientists believe they may have hit upon a cure for baldness — but it is not for the faint-hearted.

Researchers found they were able to regrow hair on the bald patches on people’s heads by injecting them with a solution derived from their own blood.

The so-called “vampire” treatment involved taking blood from the patient and processing it in a machine that extracts “platelet-rich plasma” (PRP), which is then injected back into the head.

Scientists believe the solution then stimulates new stem cells below the skin which can aid the regrowth of hair.

Such “vampire” treatments are already used in some cosmetic procedures, where injections of PRP are used in an effort to reduce the effects of aging on the face and hands.

The new treatment could have helped Sir Elton John who invested in a hair transplant.

The research, published in the latest edition of the British Journal of Dermatology, was conducted among a group of people suffering from alopecia areata, which affects about 2 per cent of the population.

However, the scientists believe it could also help those suffering more common varieties, such as male pattern baldness. Dr Fabio Rinaldi said: “We think it can help to regrow hair on people with androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness). We believe it is the best treatment available, apart from surgery.”

The study involved 45 patients, who received the injections on just one half of their head. Some were given the PRP, some were given a more traditional steroid treatment, while others received a placebo.

A total of three treatments were given to each patient, once a month. Hair growth was assessed by measuring the area where new hairs grew on the bald scalp. The PRP was found to lead to significant hair regrowth in the bald patches, compared with both the placebo and the steroid treatment.

The scientists, based at the International Hair Research Foundation and University of Brescia in Italy and the Hebrew University Medical Centre in Israel, are carrying out further research. They hope to be able to develop the treatment as a cream, to avoid the need for needles.

Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: “Alopecia is known to lead to overwhelming effects on the patient’s quality of life and self-esteem. This could offer hope to thousands.”

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An instant 'cure' for baldness... if you don't mind being injected with pigs' bladders

An instant 'cure' for baldness... if you don't mind being injected with pigs' bladders

By Daily Mail Reporter
UPDATED:12:00 GMT, 10 May 2011
Source: dailymail.co.uk

It is a condition that brings despair to millions of men.

But now there is a potential cure for those suffering from hair loss - which takes its cue from the farmyard.

Male pattern baldness could be stopped in its tracks or even reversed by the treatment, which involves patients being injected with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) taken from their own blood.

And the injections will also contain ACell - a powder extracted from pigs' bladders.


Cure? Male pattern baldness affects millions
 of men including comedian Harry Hill
 and Foreign Secretary William Hague

Foreign Secretary William Hague

This week, 20 British men will be given the 30-minute treatment, the Daily Express reported.

Dr Raghu Reddy, a Harley Street clinician at the The Private Clinic, will perform the treatment with the help of Dr Gary Hitzig, who developed it in the U.S.

Dr Reddy said: 'It is as close as we have come to a cure for male baldness.

'This revolutionary injectable combination of ACell and PRP may be the answer to restoring hair growth for those in the early to moderate stages of hair loss.

'Similar to how a flu shot can prevent one from catching the flu, ACell and PRP injections can help prevent further hair loss and help restore one’s hair.

'I appreciate the interest and support from the British Medical Board, who in conjunction with my supervision, are making this treatment available to people in the UK.'

The treatment involves the formation of a protective barrier which protects remaining healthy hair-growing cells.


Help at hand: The injections could lead to a cure for baldness

It then goes on to duplicate the surrounding tissue, allowing healthy hair-growing cells to return.

Male pattern baldness, suffered by comedian Harry Hill and Foreign Secretary William Hague, is prevalent in half of men aged over 50.

It is caused by a mixture of genetics and hormones and while there are a number of treatments available, there is no cure... yet.

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