But for all those researching this potentially revolutionary field, as a treatment or an investment, there are a few good places to start. Here is our Top 10 (Actually, Top 9) List of the best websites about hair follicle cloning or which follow it closely. In no order of rank, they are…

1. Aderans Research Institute: “dedicated to developing state-of-the-art cell engineering solutions for hair loss.”

2. Intercytex: It promotes “an autologous hair regeneration therapy, a suspension of human dermal papilla (DP) cells, for the treatment of male pattern baldness and female diffuse alopecia.”

3.  Follica:  “Developing novel therapies for conditions and disorders of the hair follicle, the epicenter for the development and replenishment of human hair and skin.”

4.  Histogen:  It is marketing “a proprietary liquid formula created by the culturing of newborn fibroblasts in an embryonic-like environment and then harvesting the naturally secreted growth factors, anitoxidants and other synergistic bioproducts that are produced” that, it claims, may have “significant applications” as “an injectable for hair growth.”

5.  Luna Innovations:  It is use “nanomedicine” to stimulate new hair growth.

6.  Hair Science Institute:  Dr. Coen Gho’s clinic that claims a superior method for individual follicle transplantation.

7.  Phoenix Bio:  A Japanese biotech company that “propagates hair papillar cells which are the key element in hair growth and develops therapies that enable the implantation of these cells on patients thus regenerating the ability of the patient’s scalp to produce hair naturally.”

8.  Shisheido Research:  Another Japanese company that is doing research into hair multiplication technologies.

9.  Bernstein Medical Center for Hair Restoration:  An advanced hair transplantation clinic, the Bernstein Center also follows closely developments in hair cloning technologies and is a good source for a
“hands on” reality check on what is realistic at the moment.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines keratin, in part, as “a tough, insoluble protein substance that is the chief structural constituent of hair”.

The studies performed at NIAMS examined a particular form of this protein called keratin 17. During the first study conducted at NIAMS, researcher Pierre A. Coulombe, PhD. and Xuemei Tong, a graduate student, discovered that mice with lower levels of keratin 17 failed to grow a healthy coat within the first week after birth. Absent the necessary keratin protein, mice experienced one phase of the hair production cycle prematurely. When the hair production cycle is upset, the death of follicle cells occurs which results in thin and fragile hair. Further, Coulombe states that, “Many other keratins show an intriguing regulation in the hair follicles, raising the prospect that they too might play a role in hair cycling.” As a result of these findings, shampoo treatments, conditioners and vitamin supplements that contain keratin are becoming increasingly popular because of their ability to eliminate dry hair.

In the second study supported by NIAMS and led by Seyun Kim, it was discovered that keratin 17 assists in controlling protein and cell growth. The findings of this study raise the possibility that this form of keratin may also regulate cell growth when used in certain settings to assist in cycling hair follicles and promoting hair growth.

Hair products infused with essential proteins such as keratin create a healthier hair shaft, resulting in more attractive hair. Hair care products and vitamin supplements should feed the root and repair hair structure to prevent dryness, breakage and hair damage associated with age, overall health and hair styling techniques. Combinations of keratin protein and other nutrients are incorporated in hair products to assist with hair damage and problems such as thinning and split ends.

The Salk scientists showed they learned how to improve the process used to coax cells from an adult human backward down the development pathway so they become just like embryonic stem cells. These so-called induced pluripotent stem cells, or IPS cells, are then capable of turning into the 200 different cell types in the body.

Their secret? They used cells taken from the root of a hair follicle, called keratinocytes.

A team of Japanese researchers created a global stir last year when they showed they had reprogrammed human tissue cells to become IPS cells.

IPS cells are desirable because they do not require the destruction of a human embryo. And if ultimately used in a stem cell therapy, the recipient would not have an immune rejection reaction to his or her own cells.

If these IPS cells are ultimately used for therapeutic use, it would be simpler to use a single strand of hair to create them, rather than the Japanese team’s use of human tissue, said Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, the lead author on the Salk paper.

The Japanese team needed 10,000 tissue cells to create one IPS cell. The Salk team used about 100 cells to create one IPS cell. While the Japanese team took about a month to reprogram the cells, Belmonte said, the Salk team did it in a week.

The Salk team found that the cells had a memory of the type of cell they used to be. Hair cells develop from ectodermal cells, which also develop into nerve, skin and neuronal cells. Although the hair keratinocytes could become any cells, it was easier to make them become one of the ectodermal cell types, Belmonte said.

The world is seeing rapid advances in the creation of IPS cells, said Evan Snyder, who heads the stem cell program at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla.

“This paper is in line with incremental advances that are being made in this field, moving toward greater efficiency, greater speed and less invasiveness,” Snyder said.

However, scientists still must figure out how to manipulate these cells without using viruses, as has been done by all researchers, he said. The viruses have been linked to cancer.

“I’m confident we’ll get there . . . soon,” Snyder said.

“I am pleased to report that during the third quarter we continued to achieve our planned improvement in both revenue and bottom line results,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kent Murphy in an official statement. “For the first time, we achieved quarterly revenue in excess of $10 million. Our revenues of $10.7 million in the third quarter of 2008 represent an increase of 21 percent as compared to the same quarter last year, with growth of more than 20 percent in both of our lines of business. Our gross profit increased from $3.5 million in the third quarter of 2007 to $4.3 million this past quarter, and due in part to our continued focus on our operating expenses, our loss per share declined from $0.18 to $0.04. Excluding a one-time benefit that we realized on a litigation settlement with our former auditors, our net loss per share would have been $0.10, which is a substantial improvement compared to the third quarter of 2007.

“Our higher-margin product and license revenues continue to grow, and we remain on track to achieve a growth of approximately 30 percent in that segment this year as compared to last year. We also had continued success in strengthening our Technology Development Division and have a solid backlog of contracts specifically supporting much of our product development efforts.

“Also during the past quarter, we announced a National Institutes of Health grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop a contrast agent that is targeted to image brain cancers. Under this program, Luna is tasked with producing an improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) agent to enhance tumor imaging and advance the diagnosis and treatment of this disease by directing nanomolecules to specific biological targets. We expect that our exclusive nanotechnology using carbon nanospheres can meet the needs of this program.”

According to the company, third quarter highlights included:

– Demonstrated an increase in the number of hair follicles and growth of new hair on a second species of mouse using a topical application of our proprietary nanomedical compound; identified the lead compound for future development efforts of this potential product.

– Achieved quarterly revenue greater than $10 million. Total revenues for the third quarter of 2008 increased 21 percent compared to the third quarter of 2007.

– Product and license revenues grew 21 percent to approximately $3.5 million in the third quarter of 2008, compared to $2.9 million in the third quarter of 2007.

– Gross profit for the third quarter of 2008 increased 21 percent to $4.3 million from $3.5 million for the corresponding period of 2007.

– Operating expenses decreased 3 percent to $5.4 million, or 50 percent of total revenues, from $5.5 million, or 63 percent of total revenues, in the third quarter of 2007.

– Net loss improved to $0.5 million from $1.8 million in the third quarter of 2007. Excluding the one-time benefit from a July 2008 settlement of a dispute with our former auditing firm the net loss would have been $1.1 million.

– Net loss per share for the third quarter of 2008 was $0.04 per share. Excluding the non-recurring, non-operating income related to the July 2008 settlement, net loss per share for the third quarter of 2008 would have been $0.10 per share compared to a net loss per share of $0.18 in the third quarter of 2007.

– Cash and cash equivalents totaled $15.2 million at September 30, as compared to $15.3 million at June 30, and $12.0 million at December 31, 2007.

For the fourth quarter of 2008, the company currently anticipates continued year-over-year growth in both its product and license segment and its Technology Development Division.

The company currently expects total revenue to be in the range of $40.0 million to $41.0 million for 2008. Also for 2008, the company anticipates a net loss in the range of $6.0 million to $6.5 million. The improvement in expected net loss for the year from our earlier guidance of $6.5 million to $7.0 million reflects the non-recurring benefit realized from the July 2008 settlement.

Accordingly, for the fourth quarter of 2008, the company expects revenue of approximately $10.5 million to $11.5 million and a net loss of approximately $1.8 million to $2.3 million. The higher expected loss in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared to the current quarter is primarily attributable to the expected increase in costs related to on-going litigation with Hansen Medical as Luna progresses toward trial in that matter.

Within a structure called the hair follicle bulge, cells with stem cell activity have long been considered a quiescent population, but a paper published this month in Nature Genetics may have turned this theory on its head1. In fact, the hair follicle contains a population of actively cycling, multipotent hair follicle cells that can be identified by the expression of a single protein called Lgr5 (leucine-rich G protein–coupled receptor 5).

Cycling cells in the mouse intestine had recently been shown to express Lgr5, and other studies have discovered that a population of cells in the hair follicle bulge express the protein as well, so Rune Toftgård of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, used transgenic mice to characterize the Lgr5-expressing cells in the hair follicle. They discovered that the protein was expressed more widely than expected, especially in the lower bulge and secondary germ layer of telogen (resting) hair follicles and in the outer root sheath area of anagen (growing) hair follicles. Cells expressing Lgr5 were the first to respond to anagen growth signals and, during the growth phase, were present along the length of the follicle. “The trafficking of stem cells along the follicle was a surprise to us,” says Toftgård. “We had to ask: Did the cells in that location retain stem cell function?”

A series of in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that the Lgr5+ cells were indeed able to generate all cell types in a hair follicle. Moreover, progeny of the Lgr5+ cells could be maintained in the hair follicle for over 14 months. Some genetic tricks allowed the researchers to label Lgr5+ cells at specific points during hair follicle growth so they could track the destinations of descendants within the hair follicle. “We needed hard evidence to prove that stem cell function was retained, because the presence of stem cells outside the bulge is a contradictory view,” says Toftgård. Together, the results suggest that Lgr5+ cells are a dynamic population that actively migrate in the hair follicle during the anagen phase and are also able to contribute to permanent parts of the hair follicle. Hedgehog, an important developmental protein, may have a role in maintaining these cells. “The data seem to show that stem cells are not dependent on the bulge niche,” says Toftgård. “Stemness is intrinsic.”

“The exciting thing for me is catching the stem cells in action,” says Denis Headon, a hair follicle development specialist at the University of Manchester, UK. Rather than cycling only occasionally, this work suggests a constant flux of cells, he says, and this knowledge can help researchers pinpoint the function of various stem cell populations within the hair follicle. “The idea that these cells are the ones responding to Hedgehog, which is required for hair follicle activity, would make good sense,” he says. Toftgård wants to look next at how these findings translate to humans, but he acknowledges that this may be difficult because human hair follicle stem cells do not express the same markers as those in mice. However, he can use mice to study the role these cells might play in cancer, he says. “It is likely that these Lgr5+ cells might be the basis of basal cell carcinomas, and now we have the tools to test this genetically.”

The dermal papilla at the base of hair follicles contains hair papilla cells which are differentiated mesenchymal cells. The function of these cells is of great importance for the hair formation and growth cycle.

Dermal papilla cells are formed by a group of mesenchymal cells which controls the hair follicle formation in the skin of the embryo. Proliferation and differentiation in the hair follicle are regulated by the extremely important complicated interactions between specialized epithelial and mesechymal cells together with extracellular components.

Established in 1990 in Heidelberg, PromoCell has endeavoured to support the trend towards carrying out in-vitro cell culture tests using normal human primary cells. The company seeks to open up new opportunities in the areas of tissue engineering, protein expression and process standardization within cell culture.

According to the company, using the HairDX test a physician can tell a man who tests positive for the high risk genetic variant that he has approximately a 70% chance of going bald. Similarly, a physician can tell a man who tests negative for the high risk genetic variant that he has approximately a 70% chance of not going bald. The HairDX test is available immediately through qualified physicians’ offices.

HairDX is a subsidiary of PharmaGenoma, Inc., a “pharmacogenomics research and development innovator.”

“The next generation test report is based on a pooled data model from multiple peer reviewed studies of over 2,000 Caucasian men,” said Andy Goren, HairDX Chairman and Co-Founder. “The studies demonstrated the association between the genetic variants measured by the HairDX genetic screening test and the development of Androgenetic Alopecia in men.”

In addition to the improved clinical validity and utility, the HairDX genetic test now includes genetic markers on the Androgen Receptor (AR) gene as well as on Chromosome 20.

“A recent study demonstrated that Propecia©, the only FDA approved oral prescription medication for the treatment of male pattern baldness, is effective at preventing hair loss over a period of several years,” said Dr. Sharon Keene, Chief Medical Officer for HairDX and former Chairman of the Annual Scientific Committee of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons. “Doctors using the HairDX genetic screening test can offer a treatment plan to prevent hair loss in men of all ages before any visible signs of hair loss.”

So, what difference can the HairDX test make — practically speaking? According to Keene and others, visible signs of hair loss usually mean that a man has already lost up to 50% of their hair. Early detection via the HairDX genetic screening test, they say, provides an opportunity for “intervention and treatment” before it is too late.

The next generation screening test identifies approximately 70% of men that will benefit from early treatment. As with any screening test, some men will be identified for treatment even though they may not go bald. Confirmatory tests by a qualified physician will eliminate unnecessary treatment.

For more info on the test, visit HairDX’s website at http://hairdx.com.

New stem cell techniques to clone hair may help hair loss sufferers, a number of scientists claimed this past week.  The combination of breakthroughs in stem cell technology and recent discoveries in the genetics of hair loss could result in a major breakthrough in the treatment of hair loss, they said.

In a recent stem cell study of hair loss led by Viljar Jaks of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, scientists examined mouse hair follicles for signs of rapid hair growth. They discovered a protein, called Lgr5, on the surface of long-lived, active stem cells in hair cells. Apparently, cells carrying the Lgr5 marker were capable of maintaining hair follicles for as long as 14 months, the researchers said.

While still in the early stages, these recent discoveries could prove crucial in the ongoing push to develop a stem cell technique to clone hair and cure hair loss. The most likely treatment may end up being stopping hair loss before it develops into male pattern baldness. “Early prediction before hair loss starts may lead to some interesting therapies that are more effective than treating late-stage hair loss,” said Tim Spector, a researcher in Kings College London who led a related study of the DNA of hair loss.


The average person has about 100,000 scalp hairs. While most people experience some hair loss as they age, men suffering from pattern hair loss - a genetic condition inherited from parents — can suffer from significant hair loss.

Hair loss or baldness is caused by a gradual shrinking of hair follicles on top of the head. Eventually, they sprout less and less hair. Balding men and some women have follicles that shrink so much they stop producing hair at all.

In the past two years, however, the hope has arisen that it might be possible to stimulate new hair growth when a University of Pennsylvania researcher discovered that mice healing from wounds can produce brand new hair follicles. In 2007, the researcher, Dr. George Cotsarelis, showed that when skin is damaged, the skin cells behave like a stem cell and generate new hair follicles.

For the year to February 2009, the Japanese wig maker now estimates a net profit of 300 million yen, down 49.2% from the previous year.

Group operating profit is projected at 3 billion yen, down 26.2%, and sales are estimated at 74 billion yen, down 1.3%, the first drop in four years.

The dismal earnings outlook led the firm to reduce its annual dividend estimate to 20 yen per share from the previously planned 30 yen.

For the September-February fiscal second half, the company intends to regain profitability in its North American hair transplant operations, which incurred a loss in the first half, by cutting costs and increasing contracts.

But poorly performing women’s wigs operations in Japan will be adversely affected by the closure of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd.’s <3099> department store in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, company officials said.

For March-August, Aderans reported a group net loss of 803 million yen, bigger than the year-before loss of 568 million yen. Operating profit surged 134.3 pct to 1,080 million yen, on sales of 36,052 million yen, down 0.7 pct.

Aderans reported a valuation loss of 701 million yen on shares it has in Japanese life insurer Yamato Life Insurance Co., which collapsed Friday.

A division of the company, Aderans Research Institute — formed along with the American hair transplant pioneer Bosley — is “dedicated to solving the pervasive problem of hair loss” through what it terms “state-of-the-art cell engineering technology.” The company seeks to “become the world leader in the research and development of safe, effective cell engineered products for hair regeneration.”