Curis Hair

[hedgehog_info]

Here is the latest from the curis presentation....


The company will give its presentation on Thursday, December 7th, from 9:50 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. during the "Biotechnology & Healthcare" track.

Daniel Passeri, Curis's President and CEO, will provide an overview of the status of the company's business and collaborations. There will also be a corresponding webcast of the presentation, which can be accessed by visiting:

http://www.investorcalendar.com/CEPage.asp?ID=111327


For Hair growth info fast forward to times 7min30sec and then again at 30min30sec

 

[michael barry]

Do you know when Curis will start either ape or human trials?

Thats the biggie for most of us. Thanks

 

[hedgehog_info]

Do you know when Curis will start either ape or human trials?

Thats the biggie for most of us. Thanks

about a year until human trials. Until then P&G are getting the formulation and process development aspects of the drug correct.

 

[michael barry]

great hedge, thanks.

 

[hedgehog_info]

great hedge, thanks.

Hey Michael,

this is the closest info I could find about human hair and Hh pathway and what is going on

Since scalp affected with pattern hair loss has a higher
percentage of hair follicles in telogen, the ability of Hh-agonist
to promote anagen suggests that it may be useful as a
potential therapeutic agent. The Hh-agonist may also enhance
follicular proliferation and the size, proliferation, and/
or organization of the dermal papillae in hair follicles affected
by pattern hair loss. Ultimately, this potential combination
of increasing the percentage of follicles in anagen and
helping to restore a more normal follicular architecture may
have a positive effect on hair growth. We have shown that
the Hh-agonist is able to activate the Hh pathway in human
scalp (Fig 6). Preliminary experiments suggest that adult
scalp, and in particular, alopecic scalp, is also responsive to
Hh-agonist as measured by Gli1 induction (data not shown).
Although these data are compelling, the physiological response
to Hh-pathway activation in normal and human
scalp affected with pattern hair loss needs to be determined
in an in vivo context. In conclusion, we propose that the use
of small molecule agonists of the Hh pathway may be a
potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of male and
female pattern hair loss.

I understand that I am probably boring you guys, but the genes that we are looking in the pic above are significant.

Gli1= STRONG Hh pathway target gene activator
Ptc1= Hh receptor and also acts as a negative feed back system in the pathway.
Gli2= open to discussion...
Shh= the protein that activates the pathway. (YOU don't want this being transcribed in a hair growth model)

As you can see SHH in the placebo and agonist treated are about the same. However, Gli1 and Ptc1 is activated significantly.

Any questions?

 

[michael barry]

Gli1= STRONG Hh pathway target gene activator
Ptc1= Hh receptor and also acts as a negative feed back system in the pathway


Those look like the two that were "money" with the fetal tissue (by the way, do they use discared abortion fetus's to test this? that will hamper research funding in the states I assure you. Lotsa pepole get upset about that). I'd be very interested to see what a Hh Gli1 and Ptc1 could do with a balding bonaboo or stumptailed macaque after they had lost their frontal hair.


Im glad Curis will get to test this in humans subects in about one year.



I wonder however, and Im sure youve had to answer this before...................................................................................................................lets say the Hh agosinsts awakens old vellus hairs and they all go into anagen and the dermal papillas expand to their former size and look great for 3-5 years (the length of a normal anagen phase) go into telogen (rest) and then catagen (shed) and many dont re-enlarge, and just stay small..........................

what then?

Another round of Hh-agonist to the head. Something that is done once every two years or so? Any ideas?

 

[hedgehog_info]

I have no idea about how they got the tissue.

..lets say the Hh agosinsts awakens old vellus hairs and they all go into anagen and the dermal papillas expand to their former size and look great for 3-5 years (the length of a normal anagen phase) go into telogen (rest) and then catagen (shed) and many dont re-enlarge, and just stay small..........................

what then?

I would say that a Hh agonist treatment for Hair growth would be whenever the hairs shed again. I would guess this is true for HM correct? For example does HM expect it to be a one time treatment and your cured? I would guess that the Hh topical application will be given to people every 3-5 years like you suggested. I would also expect it to be significantly cheaper then HM.

But this is all 100% speculation and until we see what it will actually do people can only hope.

I have not seen any studies done on monkeys.

 

[michael barry]

On HM,

HM takes dermal papilla cells and some (no matter what they tell you) some of the stem cells from the outer root sheath area and cultures them. Its necessary to have a few stem cells that are undifferentiated in this mix to have "the correct signalling environment" that you had when you were a fetus and your hair was forming.

They multiply them in a dish.


They implant them in your head.


Thats it.



In mice, the HM HAIR HAS INDEED CYCLED. However mice dont live very long, and they have not had time for human hair implanted on discarded foreskins planted on immuno-deficient mouse backs. So we have not "proved" that human hair will cycle on human skin yet, but the researchers expect that it will.

They do not anticipate that there will be a problem. In fact some think HM will both implant its DNA profile somewhat in shrunken vellus hairs in the male pattern baldness area as well as results in new hair in the completely bald area.

We will know if it can in less than one year because ICX is in phase two trials in England right now. They shot up a large balding area with 900 injections that had "weak male pattern baldness" hair and a 100-inject completely bald frontal patch of only one square centimeter in the front. They are trying it both ways in 20 men. If they *both* get growth, we have a winner.

The hair cells are taken from 120 or so hair's papilla from the back of the head. SO they are expected to have "donor hair" characterestics (i.e. be with you for life). We will see.........................if hair is "rejuvinated" and not "new" HM hair, it will no doubt retain "some" percentage of its old genetic characteristics and have "some" suceptibility to testosterone, but not nearly as much. Finasteride alone might keep that hair.


Nobody knows as of yet, and its speculative. We should know a lot more at the one year anniversary of phase 2's start, which will be next September.

 

[hedgehog_info]

Wow sounds very promising.

Any risk for side effects?

 

[michael barry]

ICX completed its phase one trial for safety three years ago. They were not really trying to grow hair, just demonstrate that shooting up your head with cultivated hair cells was safe. Five of seven men grew some hair anyway. They only shot up a very small patch. Some grew over 100 hairs.


There have been no side effect in these men. I expect some of these hairs have cycled by now.


ICX is in phase two.


Aderans if recruiting for their phase one here in the US.

Shishedo and Phoenixbio, Japanese companies, have made cloining patent pettitions to their government and are supposedly going to start their own research.



We will know alot more next September. ICX plans a "rolling" testing program, so they will adjust their protocols based on the first twenty guys results. I imagine there will be two or three or four phase 2's before phase three.

 

[CCS]

Sounds great. My only problem is my hair line. Any idea if the hairs my get ingrown, or if the direction would look worse than no hair at all, for someone like me? I'm sure you don't mind a wild mane on top of your head, as long as it is not ingrown.

 

[seancashmere]

Usually and up until now, science has judged these things by their ability to show a cosmetic improvement. Is it understood that Curis will prove to be just cosmetic or will it actually put more hairs on your head and not just make a finite difference in appearance as in Rogaine? I don't know, we've been so disappointed it's hard not to get excited about something that will only prove to be the next Minoxidil... which isn't good, because if it were all about minoxidil, we wouldn't still be lurking these pages.

 

[hedgehog_info]

Usually and up until now, science has judged these things by their ability to show a cosmetic improvement. Is it understood that Curis will prove to be just cosmetic or will it actually put more hairs on your head and not just make a finite difference in appearance as in Rogaine?

If you have a have a hair follicle and apply a Hh agonist hair will grow. It will not cause you to have more hair follicles but rather cause the Hair follicles to enter the growth phase. From my understanding which is limited but in male pattern baldness people still have hair follicles.

 

[hedgehog_info]

Came across this while reading a few other papers

PDGF isoforms induce and maintain anagen phase of murine hair follicles.

J Dermatol Sci. 2006 May 22;

Authors: Tomita Y, Akiyama M, Shimizu H

BACKGROUND: It is known that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptors are expressed in hair follicle (HF) epithelium. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to clarify the effects of PDGF-AA and -BB on the cyclic growth of HFs. METHODS: PDGF-AA or -BB was injected into the dorsal skin of C3H mice during the second telogen phase once daily for five consecutive days, or PDGF-AA or -BB dissolved in hyaluronic acid was injected only once. In order to confirm the effects of different PDGF isoforms, anti-PDGF-AA antibody or anti-PDGF-BB antibody was injected just after each injection of PDGF-AA or -BB. In addition, anti-PDGF antibodies were injected into the skin of C3H mice during the second anagen phase once daily for 5 days. We studied expression of signaling molecules in the skin where anagen phase had been induced by PDGF injection by real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: Both PDGF-AA and -BB injection experiments immediately induced the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle at the injection sites. The induction of anagen was interfered by anti-PDGF antibody treatment. Real-time RT-PCR using extracted RNA from the PDGF injected sites of skin samples showed upregulated expression of HF differentiation-related key signaling molecules, Sonic hedgehog (Shh), Lef-1 and Wnt5a. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that both PDGF-AA and -BB are involved in the induction and maintenance of the anagen phase in the mouse hair cycle. Local application of PDGF-AA and -BB might therefore prove to be an effective treatment option for alopecia associated with early catagen induction and elongated telogen phase.

 

[hedgehog_info]

Abnormal hair development and apparent follicular

Abnormal hair development and apparent follicular transformation to mammary gland in the absence of Hedgehog signaling

One single molecule determines how stem cells in the hair follicle develop. A study at the Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University in Sweden has shown that cells that should give rise to hair can instead give rise to mammary gland cells in mice who lack this molecule.

The study will be published Monday January 14 in the prestigious medical journal Developmental Cell.

This molecule is part of a complex signalling system known as the "Hedgehog pathway". This signalling system controls the development of many different organs.

"If we can find out more about how the signalling system regulates the behaviour of stem cells, we may be able to develop new treatments for not only hair loss but also for cancer", says Amel Gritli-Linde, associate professor in oral biochemistry at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

The signalling system consists of chain reactions in which several proteins together control the behaviour of cells.

The study has shown that the Hedgehog system is responsible for stem cells in skin being given the signal that allows them to develop into a certain type of cell. The molecule that has been studied is called "Smoothened", and it forms a link in the chain of information. If Smoothened is missing, the information never reaches the nucleus of the cell.

The study used transgenic mice that lacked the molecule in parts of their skin. "The stem cells at the hair follicles normally lie in special small niches in the tissue, but the transgenic mice lack these protective niches. The stem cells that should have become hair develop instead into cells from the mammary gland", says Amel Gritli-Linde.

Previous work has shown that intensive Hedgehog signalling can lead to cancer. The new study shows that raised signalling activity can also prevent the formation of mammary glands. It is Hedgehog signalling that determines whether hair or breast tissue is formed.

It's not unusual that researchers in odontology study skin and hair follicles. The hair that is formed in the follicles develops in a way that is similar to the way that teeth develop in tooth buds.

"We gain a lot of information as dentists, studying the mechanisms of hair development. It's not impossible that we will be able to get hair stem cells to form new teeth. Millions of people all over the world may be able to obtain new teeth," says Amel Gritli-Linde.

The study has been carried out in collaboration with researchers in the USA and Great Britain.

http://www.sahlgrenska.gu.se/english/

Just more info about the Hh info.

Now in Q1 hopefully P&G will select a lead candidate for hair growth

 

[elguapo]

Thanks for the info. A lot of good stuff lately. And here I was thinking about making a New Years resolution to not visit this site until I got the email notification from Intercytex regarding and update on the Phase II studies of Trychocite. Much more that just that going on.

Keep us posted.

 

[mjd50]

Good information.
I won't be so happy if the first thing that is accomplished is growing teeth from hair cells! You can have my teeth. I'd like the hair. I'll walk around combing my hair and drinking milkshakes.

 

[badday]

..."the curis cure " when will be ready (estimation) ??

 

[elguapo]

Anything new on this? Wasn't the presentation supposed to be available on the 14th or something?

Thanks.

 

[hedgehog_info]

Anything new on this? Wasn't the presentation supposed to be available on the 14th or something?

Thanks.

New presentation but nothing has changed. It is all up to P&G. They should select a lead molecule in Q1 of 07 and then an IND late in 07.