Vol. 11 – Letter from Dr. Bernstein on Hair Multiplication with ACell

Vol. 11 – November 9, 2010

Dear Patient,

There have been some exciting developments in regenerative medicine that may make it possible for a person’s own hair to be multiplied in his or her scalp. In our current research, we are exploring new techniques to make cloning hair a reality.

ACell, a company based in Maryland, has developed a biological material, called MatriStem®, that can be implanted at the site of injured tissue to promote healing. This Extracellular Matrix (ECM) is an FDA approved material that stimulates the body’s own cells to form new tissue specific to that site.

There has been some preliminary success in stimulating plucked hairs, placed into recipient sites on the patient’s scalp, to grow. Although this is a significant breakthrough, much work remains in order for hair multiplication to become a practical treatment for hair loss. It is not yet clear how much hair volume can be obtained from this technique or if the hair will be permanent long-term. In other words, we are trying to determine if the newly growing hair will be as resistant to the effects of androgens as in a traditional hair transplant.

We are currently conducting studies using ACell in hair multiplication and to facilitate wound healing in follicular unit transplants. If you are interested in participating, please contact us.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bernstein