Here are some excerpts from an e-mail from Dr. Cotsarelis of the University of Pennsylvania, regarding stem cell research, the same area that Dr. Gho of Holland is actively pursuing.
“Gene therapy simply involves introducing genes into cells, which would then produce the protein encoded by that gene. The question of which genes to introduce is a big one, but it is not dependent on finding the “baldness” gene. We are rapidly finding genes involved in hair growth and these should lead to new treatments.”
“We’re trying to find out more about stem cells for multiple reasons, but two major reasons are: 1. We believe stem ells are important targets for gene therapy. By targeting stem cells, we should be able to cause long-lasting changes in the hair. 2. By isolating stem cells we may be able to “clone” follicles and reintroduce them to patients. This latter approach could come to fruition in shorter time frame, maybe 3-7 years.”
He puts hair multiplication in 3-7 year range, and states that more efficacious combination therapies will no doubt became available in the interim.