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Gene Research Gives Hope of Reversing Baldness

Hair loss in humans might not be irreversible, suggest scientists who have helped create new hair cells on the skin of mice. It was thought hair follicles, once damaged, could never be replaced. A University of Pennsylvania team, writing in the journal Nature, say hair growth can actually be encouraged using a single gene.

4 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. Only the beginning.... by IncandescentFlame · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Advanced hair ... yeah, yeah. Exciting for some.... However, the next generation of this process could feasibly be new limbs or new organs ... sign me up.

  2. Re:At least this research has other applications by LionKimbro · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The self-indulgent preoccupation with male pattern baldness couldn't be more banal.


    If people were just as kind and fair to the beautiful as to the ugly, then I might agree with you.

    But they are not.
  3. Re:Medical research checklist by ookabooka · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Clearly medical research as a whole is irrelevant until we solve world hunger; spaceships, cars, and the internet are even more irrelevant. Progress is progress, how do you know that their research into this gene won't help cancer down the road?

    --
    If you are about to mod me down, keep in mind that this post was most likely sarcastic.
  4. Re:Medical research checklist by titusjan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Insightful? My hiney!

    Aren't scientists allowed to work on projects of lesser importance until all important problems are solved? If not, the ultimate consequence would be that we compile a list of all problems, sort them and don't start working on number 2 until we've solved number 1.

    Secondly it is not as if nothing has been accomplished in cancer research. In the begining of the 20th century having cancer meant a certain death, these days you have a chance depending on the kind of cancer and how far it has progessed. Let's face it, cancer is hard to cure.

    An finally you (and others in this thread) seem to think that baldness and erectily dysfunctions are minor problems. Having a problem like that can have a severe inpact on your chances of reproducing so I'd say they're no minor issues.