■ Alopecia and Its Treatments: Major Impacts on Quality of Life (QOL)
Alopecia encompasses a wide range of conditions, including androgenetic alopecia (affecting approximately 18 million men in Japan), telogen effluvium in women (about 6 million in Japan), alopecia areata, cicatricial alopecia, and drug-induced alopecia. Because alopecia has a profound impact on quality of life (QOL), a variety of treatments exist, and the condition represents a significant market.
Our approach, framed as “hair follicle regeneration”, seeks a fundamental solution to alopecia. By amplifying epithelial stem cells and dermal papilla cells derived from human occipital hair follicles ex vivo, and transplanting these new “hair seeds” into sites of hair loss, we aim to restore natural hair growth and address the root cause of alopecia.
■ Pipeline of Hair Follicle Regenerative Medicine
In 2021, we successfully developed a stable ex vivo amplification method for epithelial stem cells and dermal papilla cells derived from human occipital hair follicles. Furthermore, we established the manufacturing technology for the first-generation bioengineered hair follicle germs for use in hair follicle regenerative medicine.
More recently, in parallel with ongoing research and development of next-generation hair follicle regenerative technologies, we discovered a novel third type of cell that supports hair follicle regeneration (unpublished). By applying this cell type, we established in mice the manufacturing technologies for second-generation bioengineered hair follicle germs and third-generation bioengineered hair follicles. With these achievements, we have completed the development of the full pipeline of hair follicle regenerative technologies, ranging from transplantation of bioengineered hair follicle germs to transplantation of bioengineered hair follicles.
Moreover, since this third cell type supports hair follicle development and may improve the scalp environment, it is expected to be applicable not only to male-pattern baldness but also to cell-based therapies for female alopecia.
At present, we are advancing the humanization studies of these cells, while preparing for clinical research on both cell transplantation therapy and hair follicle regenerative medicine.
Inquiries Regarding Hair Regeneration
info[at]organ-tech.jp
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Kindly address your inquiry to the Hair Regeneration Division.
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