Follica – Just some FACTS …

Stem cell; cell based hair therapy
1

In winter 2008/2009, Dr. George Cotsarelis (Follica) spoke a lot in the PENN Medicine journal about his discoveries and approaches for a “cure of baldness” (page 11 – 15):
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/publications/PENNMedicine/files/PENNMedicine_2009_01_winter.pdf

In January 2010, I already posted some FACTS about what’s going on behind Follica …
http://www.hairsite.com/hair-loss/forum_entry-id-62203.html

… but it seems nobody noticed this post, resp. noticed the posted link (URL) within my post:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T87-4Y0542Y-2&_user=10&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=3&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235079%232010%23999429998%231578039%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5079&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=17&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=749489fc67e570fcf3fc0a76cc31caa0

This scientifically peer-reviewed research paper is online available since December 21, 2009 (since 5 month), and is written by the authors George Cotsarelis and his colleague Chao-Chun Yang.

This is the last research paper by Dr. George Cotsarelis (Follica) I’m aware of, and it explains (well written) the current research approaches behind Follica, AND it’s about exactly the same issues & topics, as mentioned/described in the PENN Medicine journal, as mentioned above.

Conclusion of this research paper by Dr. Cotsarelis, published 5 month ago:

  1. Conclusion
    Dermal cells play a pivotal role in the regulation of hair growth. For hair follicle regeneration purposes, important issues include isolation of inductive dermal population, expanding their number by culture, maintenance of their hair inductive property and providing them an adequate niche and exogenous signals to enhance their interaction with epidermal cells toward the fate of hair neogenesis. An ideal hair regeneration model for human hair follicles has yet to be developed. The efficiency has to be improved with fewer starting cell number and higher number of regenerated hair follicles. The variables should be easily controllable for studying hair biology. The multipotent cells reside in dermal compartment of the hair follicle warrant further studies for their potential clinical application in regenerative medicine.

And that is exactly what Follica’s scientists are currently working on:

Developing an artificial hair regeneration MODEL for human hair follicles, which in fact means, developing an artificial human skin/hair EQUIVALENT for studying hair follicles, which in fact scientists, like Dr. Ralf Paus & Dr. Kordula Schlotmann, already studied and PATENTED it in 2002 as well:

By the way: BOTH, Dr. George Cotsarelis & Dr. Ralf Paus, are one of the keynote lecturers at the 6th World Congress for Hair Research in Australia:
http://www.hair2010.org/highlights.asp

Funny, isn’t it?

Anyway, make your own conclusions about Dr. Cotsarelis/Follica’s discoveries and approaches, by means of the FACTS above …

2

» Funny, isn’t it?

yes, I am LMAO right now.

» Anyway, make your own conclusions about Dr. Cotsarelis/Follica’s
» discoveries and approaches, by means of the FACTS above …

he is a moron. :smiley:

3

You interpreted the research conducted by Cotsarelis and Chao-Chun Yang incorrectly.

They are not talking about the Follica procedure. They are talking about multiplying hair inductive cells (DPs, DMs, etc) in culture and using assays to asses their effectiveness at restoring hair growth. This is the approach taken by Aderans and TrichoScience, not Follica.

4

WOW - you’re all fast readers of scientific reasearch papers … :surprised:

» You interpreted the research conducted by Cotsarelis and Chao-Chun Yang
» incorrectly.
»
» They are not talking about the Follica procedure. They are talking about
» multiplying hair inductive cells (DPs, DMs, etc) in culture and using
» assays to asses their effectiveness at restoring hair growth. This is the
» approach taken by Aderans and TrichoScience, not Follica.

Ahh, thanks! Now I know that they just studied and wrote everything for Aderans and TrichoScience - or ACell ? :smiley:

5

Well, per the references at the bottom of the research page, there isn’t anything recent from Stenn or McElwee… meaning that Aderans and Trichoscience haven’t published their findings yet.

This paper by Cotsarelis is only based on publicly available information. Hopefully Aderans and Trichoscience have made some discoveries that Cotsarelis is not yet aware of (for instance, how to properly regulate the signaling environment afer cell re-insertion and how to multiply cells without compromising their hair inductive properties).

Cotsarelis says in the paper that there is no method of making purely human hair follicles. That just doesn’t seem consistent with Aderans in Phase 2. If there was no way for human hair follicles to form, would Aderans have moved their procedure towards commercialization?

Let’s just hope Aderans is one step ahead of Cotsarelis.

6

» Well, per the references at the bottom of the research page, there isn’t
» anything recent from Stenn or McElwee… meaning that Aderans and
» Trichoscience haven’t published their findings yet.

Not yet, but in 3 weeks:

Apparent Apocrine Anlage Appear Within The Stage 3 Human Follicle But Regress Shortly Thereafter
· Mr Kurt Stenn, Aderans Research Institute, Inc, United States
· W Chen, Aderans Research Institute, Inc, United States
· Y Veklich, University of Pennsylvania, United States
· J-C Hsieh, Aderans Research Institute, Inc, United States
· J Van deBerg, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, United States
· Y Zheng, Aderans Research Institute, Inc, United States

http://www.hair2010.org/abstract/144.asp

Safety profile of human autologous dermal sheath cup cells (DSCC) intended to treat androgenetic alopecia
· Rolf Hoffmann, TrichoScience Innovations Inc., Canada
· Kevin McElwee, TrichoScience Innovations Inc., Canada

http://www.hair2010.org/abstract/10.asp

Which means - all in all - C R A P …

7

» » Well, per the references at the bottom of the research page, there isn’t
» » anything recent from Stenn or McElwee… meaning that Aderans and
» » Trichoscience haven’t published their findings yet.
»
» Not yet, but in 3 weeks:
»
» -----------------------------------
» Apparent Apocrine Anlage Appear Within The Stage 3 Human Follicle But
» Regress Shortly Thereafter
» · Mr Kurt Stenn, Aderans Research Institute, Inc, United States
» · W Chen, Aderans Research Institute, Inc, United States
» · Y Veklich, University of Pennsylvania, United States
» · J-C Hsieh, Aderans Research Institute, Inc, United States
» · J Van deBerg, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, United
» States
» · Y Zheng, Aderans Research Institute, Inc, United States
»
» http://www.hair2010.org/abstract/144.asp
» ---------------------------
»
» Safety profile of human autologous dermal sheath cup cells (DSCC)

» intended to treat androgenetic alopecia
» · Rolf Hoffmann, TrichoScience Innovations Inc., Canada
» · Kevin McElwee, TrichoScience Innovations Inc., Canada
»
» http://www.hair2010.org/abstract/10.asp
» ----------------------------
»
» Which means - all in all - C R A P …

Iron Man there is one thing i will give you (and so should everyone on the forum) : You are a hell of a researcher!

8

» Which means - all in all - C R A P …

How so?

9

The presentation given by Dr. Stenn has nothing to do with the Aderans treatment. I read the abstract on the website and it’s about hair follicles forming in embryos. It’s not about hair multiplication.

10

» The presentation given by Dr. Stenn has nothing to do with the Aderans
» treatment. I read the abstract on the website and it’s about hair follicles
» forming in embryos. It’s not about hair multiplication.

Hmm, but would this study make sense if Aderans studied similar approches like Histogen as well?
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3867394.htm

Because if you’re able to “re-program” specific (hair-)cells into embryonic-like (hair-)cells, you have to know how exactly hair follicles develop after re-programing them …

BTW - this presentation by Dr. Kurt Stenn (Aderans) just shows, that Aderans studied each and every aspect (hair biology) of hair follicles during the past 8 years!

… and TrichoScience just studied their DSC cells during the past 10 years … :smiley:

11

Oh, I totally agree that it shows how meticulous Aderans seems to be. Just pointing out that the presentation isn’t directly related to their procedure.

They are definitely studying the process of embryogenesis to enhance their understanding of hair multiplication.

12

» Oh, I totally agree that it shows how meticulous Aderans seems to be. Just
» pointing out that the presentation isn’t directly related to their
» procedure.
»
» They are definitely studying the process of embryogenesis to enhance their
» understanding of hair multiplication.

I hope Adreans come up with something, 8 years with a team is a long time to study.

13

I wondering if Follica has completed any clinical trials on humans and if so do they have to acknowedge that to the public or can they have a private clinical trial. Because if they are using drugs already on the market they do not need to complete the 3 phases of a normal clincial trial… They acquired 15 million 2 years ago and mice are not that expensive to treat. They must be performing test on humans and paying them enough money to keeep their mouths shut.

14

» Conclusion of this research paper by Dr. Cotsarelis, published 5 month
» ago:
»
» -----------------------------------
» 8. Conclusion
» Dermal cells play a pivotal role in the regulation of hair growth. For
» hair follicle regeneration purposes, important issues include isolation of
» inductive dermal population, expanding their number by culture, maintenance
» of their hair inductive property and providing them an adequate niche and
» exogenous signals to enhance their interaction with epidermal cells toward
» the fate of hair neogenesis. An ideal hair regeneration model
» for human hair follicles has yet to be developed. The
» efficiency has to be improved with fewer starting cell number and higher
» number of regenerated hair follicles. The variables should be easily
» controllable for studying hair biology. The
» multipotent cells reside in dermal compartment of the hair follicle warrant
» further studies for their potential clinical application in regenerative
» medicine.
» -----------------------------------
»
» And that is exactly what Follica’s scientists are currently working on:
»
» Developing an artificial hair regeneration MODEL for human hair follicles,
» which in fact means, developing an artificial human skin/hair
» EQUIVALENT for studying hair follicles, which in fact scientists, like
» Dr. Ralf Paus & Dr. Kordula Schlotmann, already studied and PATENTED
» it in 2002 as well:
» WIPO - Search International and National Patent Collections

Just for the record:

Shooter 2/21/10 3:31 pm

Billy – I am going from this statement by Cotsarelis himself (dated June 2009).

“Thank you for your interest in my research. Rest assured that we are continuing our work on hair follicle stem cells and hair follicle regeneration in the hopes of better understanding hair growth and developing treatments for hair loss. The Follica website (http://www.follicabio.com/) will have information regarding upcoming clinical trials. We are not performing any clinical trials at this time.”

http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/may07/hair-follicle-regeneration.html

Also, UPenn is conducting a trial right now aimed at PREVENTING hair growth… so… thanks, Follica.

15

By the way …

Gordon Research Conferences
http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2010&program=fibroblast

Fibroblast Growth Factors In Development & Disease
March 14-19, 2010
Four Points Sheraton / Holiday Inn Express
Ventura, CA

  • George Cotsarelis (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA)
    “FGFs in hair follicle neogenesis following wounding”

So it seems that Dr. G. Cotsarelis (Follica) is still on his (fuoking) “wounding” approach …

16

» By the way …
»
» -------
» Gordon Research Conferences
» Find a Conference
»
» Fibroblast Growth Factors In Development & Disease
» March 14-19, 2010
» Four Points Sheraton / Holiday Inn Express
» Ventura, CA
»
» - George Cotsarelis (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA)
» “FGFs in hair follicle neogenesis following
» wounding”
» -------
»
» So it seems that Dr. G. Cotsarelis (Follica) is still on his (fuoking)
» “wounding” approach …

So what does this mean? Follica is crap? Or ARI is crap? I dont know cause its all the standard up and downs and i think everyone is sick of it.

I think all those things confuse people:-P