Japan-based hair and cosmetics company Shiseido claims to have found a cure for baldness which it plans to make commercially available by 2018.
The company has patented its new RepliCel Hair-01 (RCH-01) hair regeneration technology in the entire Asian region, including Japan, which comprises approximately 2.1 billion people.
RCH-01 has been developed over 10 years of scientific research, and safe application in humans has been now been validated through clinical trials.
The treatment uses “autologous cell transplantation technology,” in which specific cells isolated from the hair follicles taken from the scalp of a patient are cultured and implanted (injected) into the balding scalp area, potentially stimulating residing hair follicles and promoting new hair growth.
The treatment has been created by scientists at The Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster, a biomedical research center located in Port Island, which is one of the core bases of the Kansai Innovation International Strategic Comprehensive Special Zone designated by the Japanese government to promote industrial development in advanced medicine and to provide a competitive advantage in the international market.
The Cluster is the largest national cluster zone specialized in life sciences, with the focus on promoting translation of leading scientific research and advanced knowledge in regenerative medicine into clinical use.
There are over 270 biomedical companies, academic, medical, and government organizations situated at the center working on the clinical application of regenerative medicine and the development of new pharmaceutical products and medical equipment.