Q: What is the major obstacle to hair cloning?
A: Although many problems remain, the main one is to keep cloned cells differentiated (the ability to perform a specialized function, like producing a hair). There are certain cells in the skin, called fibroblasts, which reside around the base of the hair follicle. These cells are readily multiplied in a Petri dish. When these cells are injected into the skin, they have the ability to induce a hair to form (they are differentiated). The problem is that when these cells are multiplied in culture, they tend to lose this ability (they become undifferentiated).
Kyan Douglas, the resident grooming expert for ‘Queer Eye,’ brings Jeff L. and his best friend — both of whom were concerned about their thinning hair — to see Dr. Bernstein at the Bernstein Medical – Center for Hair Restoration.
