Can’t this technology be put into clinical trials and then marketed after a couple of years of clinical trials? Why does the article talk about a big delay to get this into the marketplace? It seems like it’s already ready for clinical trials.
@jarjarbinx If it’s all true, I think it does. I’m very impressed with Dr. Christiano.
Regarding Stemson, they may have more advanced technology, but it should take longer to drag through the regulatory process (at least in the US), because it involves induced pluripotent stem cells.
The problem with iPS cells is that the FDA seems to have already decided that they warrant a very cautious approach. The FDA has done something very rare: they have ALREADY done their own study implying iPS cells are risky:
One great thing about Stemson’s use of iPS cells is that it’ll enable them to implant ALLOGENEIC newly grown hair follicles into patients’ scalps. That means you can get hair from another person’s cells, and the new hair follicles will grow in your skin without rejection by your body’s immune system (the reasons for this are complicated, it’s because when the cells are cultured, the donor-specific antigenic immune molecules on the cell membranes aren’t replicated and passed on to the progeny cells.)
But the FDA is saying this process is risky for another reason: because the culturing process introduces too many mutations (DNA “breaks”) in the progeny cells. I think that some independent researchers need to check the results of that study.
As for Dr. Christiano’s work, she MAY be able to get Stemson-like results without going Stemson’s route of using iPS cells, but I’m not sure.
In any case, her work is progressing and it looks promising!!
Call me cynical but I think the answer to the question is… No 
It seems very promising and could end up being a step towards a cure - but I think that is all. We have been here more times than I can count and whilst it is good to remain hopeful I don’t see any more than that.
Sure would be great if something real would come to fruition,I’ve only been waiting for 20 years,since first following hairsite,the pace is exasperating,i thought by now we would have better options than hair club or bosley.