Laboratory Culture - Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration
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Q: What is the difference between hair cloning, hair multiplication, and follicular neogeneis? I have read about these terms on the internet and am completely confused.

A: Cloning generally refers to the multiplication of fetal stem cells or embryonic tissues. “Hair cloning”, as the term is generally used, involves the multiplication of adult tissue cells that are used to induce the formation of new hair, so the term is not exactly accurate.

“Hair multiplication” refers to the multiplication of adult hair structures. This model is not actively being pursued since the hair follicle is too complex to be simply cultured in a tube. Instead individual cells called fibroblasts are removed from the scalp multiplied in tissue culture and then these are injected back into the scalp in the hope that they will induce intact follicles to form.

“Follicular neogeneis” is probably the best of these terms, as it describes the formation of new follicles derived from inducer cells that are cultured and then injected into the scalp. It is the preferred term of Ken Washenik at Aderans. Interctyex uses the term “follicular cell regeneration” for its technology.

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Q: I have heard that Dr. Jahoda was able to clone hair. Is that true? — M.T., Cincinnati, OH

A: Possibly the most interesting work related to cloning hair was done by Colon Jahoda in England over a decade ago. Dr. Jahoda’s work is significant because he identified an inducer cell — i.e. fibroblasts in the outer portion of the hair follicle (the outer root sheath) — that can stimulate the skin to produce new hair. It is well known that fibroblasts, unlike many other tissue cells, are relatively easy to culture.

Theoretically, a patient’s fibroblasts could be removed from the sheaths of just a few follicles and then cultured to produce thousands of follicles. These fibroblasts could then be injected back into the scalp to induce thousands of new hair follicles to grow.

In the study, fibroblasts from a man were injected into the forearm of genetically unrelated women. The cross-gender aspect of his experiment has received much publicity and is potentially of great importance to burn victims, but has little relevance to hair transplantation for male pattern baldness. Patients would probably benefit most from using their own cultured fibroblasts for the best match.

So far this important single study has not been reproduced.

Read about the latest in Hair Cloning Research

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