UBC - A new player in the HM race - 13 Jun 07

Stem cell; cell based hair therapy
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http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=b2d88bdf-488c-409b-8786-fac2fb577b27

Hair follicles could help cure paralysis, neurological disease
New cell source will build neurons, blood vessels, brain tissue
Laura Payton, The Province
Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Stem cells found in hair follicles could one day heal people with paralysis or neurological diseases, says a doctor coming to Vancouver for the fifth International Congress on Hair Research today.

Stem cells can be grown into different types of tissue. The ones thought to have the most potential to heal are embryonic stem cells, which are controversial because the embryo is destroyed when the cells are harvested.

“We think that hair-follicle stem cells may be an alternative for many of the applications,” said Dr. Robert Hoffman, a San Diego researcher.

They’re very readily accessible [and] it’s not an invasive procedure."

Hoffman’s research team found that hair-follicle stem cells could form the cells that build neurons, blood vessels, muscle cells and brain tissue.

In an experiment to be presented at this week’s congress, mice with severed spines regained partial use of their legs after stem cells originally from hair follicles were injected into their spinal column.

A laboratory at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, is also delving below the skin’s surface to look at hair follicles.

Researchers know that hair follicles provide the cells that regenerate and heal skin.

The UBC lab, one of only a few that deal with hair research, is investigating the connection between the immune system and hair growth, as well as between hormones, aging and hair growth.

Much of the university lab’s research, however, will apply to solving pattern baldness by implanting cultured hair cells into bald skin.

“We’re still a few years away from [making it a standard procedure]” said Dr Kevin McElwee , the lab’s clinical director and one of a few people in the world with a doctoral degree in hair biology.

But people looking for a new baldness treatment can take comfort in the researchers’ empathy for them.

“There are a number of us [in the lab] who are motivated to find a treatment for pattern baldness,” admitted McElwee.

lapayton@png.canwest.com

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University of British Columbia’s website:

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So it seems like other companies/research groups (UBC and that Japanese company mentioned the other day) are going a similar route for thier HM protocol (ie; cultured DP Cells). This indicates a consensus of opinion about the future of HM. Intercytex just seem to be several years ahead of the curve!

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UBC brought McElwee on a few years ago after his ground-breaking German paper that proved HM stimulation. Amazingly, he attempted to get corporate funding at that time, and nobody was interested. It is nice to see that UBC is allowing him to continue to work in the HM direction. Since he is among the top HM researchers in the world, it is probably no coincidence that the conference is located in Canada this year.

Having said that, I don’t expect a cure out of McElwee soon. But I think it goes to show that even if ICX were to completely fall flat on its face, sooner or later somebody else is going to come along and solve this. We already saw this happen once with Gho. He couldn’t bring his protocol to fruition, but then along came ICX. Each time someone fails, someone else steps up, and the next round of research matures compared to the last. That is the nature of scientific progression.

We are going to get our hair back. Of course the question is when? But in a way, that doesn’t really matter that much. It is just nice to know that it’s coming back:-)

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Dr Kevin McElwee…he’s baaaaack. From the days of posting on Alt Baldspot, I always had a hunch that he would do bigger and better things.

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» Dr Kevin McElwee…he’s baaaaack. From the days of posting on Alt Baldspot,
» I always had a hunch that he would do bigger and better things.

Isn’t it nice to read about real scientist doing real things in the forum instead of reading about the axis of shampoo a la widowspeak, hitlerspeak is going bald, diamond dave, and kramer?

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Nice find…I graduated from this University not to long ago now. I had no idea they were into hair multiplication as well.