Canadian company Replicel, has been diligently working towards developing a cure for baldness. After extensive research, the company now believes it has discovered a way to cure baldness, as well as tackle tendon degeneration and aging skin.
Using autologous cell therapy, Replicel has already managed to grow new hair without the aid of pills, creams or transplants. So, what exactly is autologous cell therapy, and could it actually work?
Understanding autologous cell therapy
Autologous cell therapy basically involves using the patient’s own cells to tackle numerous conditions. As the patient is both the donor as well as the recipient, the chance of the body rejecting the cells is minimal.
The CEO of Replicel, Lee Buckler, claims the basis behind the company’s cell therapy techniques, was taken from European research which started back in 2003. Dr. Kevin McElwee PhD, a hair biologist, and Dr. Rolf Hoffman MD, a dermatology expert, were the men responsible for the discovery of the cell responsible for hair growth.
How it would work
Prior research found that the hair at the back of the head in those who were susceptible to baldness, was largely unaffected. This is because the back of the head didn’t have the same receptors at the front, which were ultimately responsible for helping androgen hormones to attack the hair follicles; leading to baldness.
Therefore, it was concluded that in order to tackle baldness, the cells from the back of the head would need to be relocated to the front. However, this was quite a major, invasive procedure so Replicel came up with the idea to take a little tissue from the back of the head and then isolate the cells. They could then be grown within a lab environment, before being implanted into the front of the head.
Regenerative medicine could be game-changer in medicine
If Replicel can prove their autologous cell therapy works, it’s going to prove a game-changer in medicine. Not only will it open the door for a cure to baldness, but it will also have the potential to heal damaged organs and tissues. This would mean those currently living with a condition which is currently beyond repair, would have a cure.
Replicel’s cell therapy treatment is currently within its Phase II human trials. The second phase trials started in 2016 in Japan and have so far produced exceptional results.
