Q: What is the major obstacle to hair cloning? A: Although many problems remain, the main one is to keep cloned cells differentiated (the ability to perform a specialized function, like producing a hair). There are certain cells in the skin, called fibroblasts, which reside around the base of the hair follicle. These cells are [...]

Q: Considering cell cultivation is made possible how could their injection create a normal formation of hair on the scalp and can they induce hair growth also in scarred areas where previously hair stopped growing? A: That is the question. It is not known if these induced follicles will resemble normal hairs, and be cosmetically [...]

Q: What are the major obstacles for scientists to cloning hair? A: The main problem is that the cultured cells may lose their phenotype with multiple passages, i.e. lose their ability to differentiate into hair follicles after they have been multiplied. Another problem of hair cloning is that the orientation of hair direction must be [...]

Q: I know that both Aderans and Intercytex are doing research with cloning hair. Is there any difference in their approaches? A: Aderans is using the “two-cell” approach. They feel that the best way to produce viable hair follicles is to use a combination of inducer cells and responder cells. Each would be multiplied separately [...]

Q: I have not seen any research in the medical literature that indicates to me that cloning is close at hand. Am I missing something? A: Possibly the most interesting work related to cloning hair was done by Colon Jahoda in England. Jahoda’s work is significant because he identified an inducer cell — i.e. fibroblasts [...]