Hair Loss Treatment Uses Stem Cells to Generate Healthy New Follicles

Stemson Therapeutics is developing a novel treatment for hair loss using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to regenerate hair. The process involves extracting somatic cells from the patient, reprogramming them into iPSCs, and then differentiating these into hair follicle germs for transplantation. The company's CEO, Geoff Hamilton, asserts that this approach is more reliable and scalable than previous methods. However, the treatment is still in preclinical development and needs to be tested in humans. The company plans to evaluate a first-generation, autologous treatment in future trials. Hamilton also notes that the newly transplanted hair germs may be less susceptible to biochemicals that damage hair follicles, potentially offering some protection against androgenic alopecia. The effectiveness and duration of this protection will be determined in clinical trials.