Rev. of AGA Treat92　Hair regeneration therapy

Hair regeneration therapy can increase your hair volume.

　At the end of this book, I want to discuss the bright future of hair growth and hair restoration. This involves a new medical technology called "hair regeneration therapy." If hair regeneration therapy becomes a reality, a world where no one has to suffer from androgenetic alopecia is not just a dream.

Hair regeneration therapy is a type of regenerative medicine that has gained attention in the 21st century. Regenerative medicine is advanced medical treatment that regenerates tissues and organs lost due to various causes. 　This field came into the spotlight in 2006 when a group at Kyoto University, led by Professor Shinya Yamanaka, created iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells), a breakthrough that earned Professor Yamanaka the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012.

　Hair follicles, which produce hair, are the only organ that repeatedly regenerates even in adulthood. The hair cycle ensures that hair follicles continue to regenerate periodically. Hair regeneration therapy aims to utilize this property to regenerate hair follicles and hair.

　First, let's clarify the difference between hair regeneration therapy and hair transplantation. In hair transplantation for patients with androgenetic alopecia, grafts from the donor area at the back of the head, which is less prone to alopecia, are transplanted to the thinning hairline or frontal area to make thinning hair less noticeable. This improves the appearance, but it does not increase the total number of hairs.

　In contrast, hair regeneration therapy involves culturing and increasing the number of harvested hair follicles before transplanting them, which increases the total number of hair follicles and hairs. This is the key difference between the two. Since the number of hair follicles in the donor area at the back of the head is limited, there are inherent limitations on the number of grafts that can be transplanted in hair transplantation. However, in hair regeneration therapy, it is possible, for example, to take just 10 grafts from the back of the head and increase them to 1,000 grafts through cultivation before transplantation. This approach can cater to patients with significant hair loss. Hair regeneration therapy could also be beneficial for various types of alopecia other than androgenetic alopecia.

　For instance, in preparation for hair loss and thinning caused by chemotherapy, hair follicles can be harvested and cultured in advance. After chemotherapy, these follicles can be transplanted to areas of concern, significantly improving the patient's quality of life. Just as it has become common practice to check and treat the condition of teeth and gums before performing cancer surgery due to the impact of oral health on post-operative recovery, it may become standard practice in the future to harvest and culture hair follicles from areas not prone to hair loss, such as the back of the head, before administering chemotherapy.

　Our clinic has been actively cooperating in the research of hair regeneration therapy for about five years. We are collaborating with Professor Junji Fukuda of Yokohama National University Graduate School, a leading researcher in hair regeneration therapy, to advance this field. Through an interview with Professor Fukuda, we will introduce the reality of hair regeneration therapy and its progress towards practical application.

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