The Evolution of the Promise of Hair Cloning: How Hair Cell Cloning Will Fit Into Your Practice

Abstract

Successful work in mice in the 1980s using cultured dermal papilla cells to form brand-new hair follicles led to the hope that a human version could be developed to treat androgenic alopecia. This could potentially provide a system to create unlimited amounts of cosmetically useful hair follicles in bald areas of scalp. However, clinical studies by biotech companies Intercytex and subsequently Aderans Research showed that although new hairs could be produced, the cosmetic effect was not sufficient. It was discovered that actively miniaturising follicles appeared to be rejuvenated and returned to the dimensions of terminal hairs. This led to a potentially new, long-term treatment plan for patients based on mapping the scalp to determine DHT-resistant areas and DHT-sensitive areas. Once areas of future miniaturisation are determined, a small number of hair follicles from DHT-resistant areas could be excised, transported to a tissue bank, and cryopreserved. These could then be utilised, when needed, to produce cultured dermal papilla cells to rejuvenate and rebuild miniaturising follicles as the wave of miniaturisation proceeded, thus resulting in the maintenance of hair throughout life.