http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2010/01/22/a-very-brief-follica-update-for-our-loyal-readers/comment-page-2/#comment-125375

are you going to participate in Aderans clinical trials if the opportunity comes about?

First things first: The exact method used by Aderans is proprietary and confidential. Trialists are forced to sign non-disclosure agreements and the majority of their research is conducted in stealth. For this reason, no one knows EXACTLY what their process consists of.

Having said that, by looking at the most recent Aderans patents (available on this thread and on the aderans website) you can get a pretty good idea of what’s going on.

First, they take a biopsy from the back of your head. It is possible that this will leave a little scar, however it probably will not be noticeable (like that of a HT).

Hair and skin cells from this biopsy are multiplied in a culture medium and combined together.

This combination is inserted into a small biodegradable scaffold and the scaffold is inserted just under the skin of your scalp (in the balding areas). Over time the scaffold disintegrates and the cells turn into a hair (should take about 3 months).

The End.

Now, this is all theoretical. I could be wrong on several points and, of course, the entire process might not even work. But this is as close as I can figure (and I’m pretty sure its mostly correct).

Can I ask you a few questions about Aderans technique? They don’t seem to get at fundamental answers on their site to what I believe are straight-forward questions anyone would want to know.

1) How are the hair cells originally extracted? Additionally, how much are extracted? Will it scar?

2) From what I understand, they take the cells out, they reproduce, then they inject the reproduced cells back into the scalp. Does this mean there’s no physical implantation of actual hairs (ie during a transplant)? For instance, I’m curious about where the implantation of the cells occurs… the top of the head? The back?

3) If the cells just grow hairs, and there’s no hair transplant style implantation of the new hairs, then how would this technique deal with hairlines on the scalp?

4) If they hope cells will simply reproduce, don’t they have a fear this could develop cancerous tumors? I mean afterall, that’s what cancer is, right?

Thanks!!!

I called the number on the Aderans site for the clinical trial nearest to me.

I talked to a lady from the research facility who was extremely nice. She said they hadn’t started recruitment just yet, but that the study itself should start in May. Overall it lasts for about a year. She said that the majority of the procedure is done during the first few visits and then its mostly just monitoring afterwards.

I was encouraged because she said the entire team at the research facility was excited to start it because it was a “cool study.” She went on to describe the procedure (of which we are already familiar) and was in awe of the overall concept. I was REALLY encouraged (although I tried hard to play dumb) because she said that once trials get to “them” (meaning the research company), the procedre has already been tried on people before and they are usually pretty sure it works. I believe her exact words were something like “Oh yeah, they are pretty sure.”

That being said, she is just an employee and is not given any information with which to make that decision. She just knows that they are a late-term facility so by the time trials get to them they are usually safe and at least minimally effective.

Everyone else should call their respective facility and try to 1) get more info and 2) SIGN UP!

Rev, to be honest I never even entertained the notion that Nicholas Cage movies might be good in spite of him, not because of him. My entire worldview has been shattered and cast into disarray.

P.S. someone needs to sign up for the Aderans treatment and report back to the forum.

DBS: Elaine Fuchs is merely a researcher. She’s not associated with any single company that’s commercializing a treatment. Her WNT research, however, is an important factor in Histogen’s HSC

Also, whatever happened to “R”. He just disappeared. He said a woman named Elaine Fuchs proved hair could be regrown with very high doses of anit-anflamatories. Is that true and has anyone ever tried to make a topical solution like that?

Nicholas Cage brought us such cinemaic delights as GhostRider, Moonstruck, and Face-off. He was also the voice of one of the rats in G-Force.

ZZ: Now that’s what I’m talking about. Wouldn’t it be nice if Follica could extent us the same courtesy?

This procedure (if it actually works) will be very expensive for those that need a considerable amount of coverage.

Nicholas Cage movies do not suck (The Rock, Con-Air, Face Off, Gone in 60 Seconds, the first National Treasure, The Rock again, etc.)!!!