Thank you for the link to the patent. I remember reading some of their patents way back when they first started publishing them about 9 years ago and coming across some information that indicated they believe they could control the "sex" of the hair follicles which they generate. In other words, through the application of certain compounds at certain times, they could drive the new follicles, regardless of the patient's gender, to develop as female, so to speak. By affecting the underlying stem cells they are producing female follicles that are not prone to the effects of DHT, and therefore they would be permanent.
I went back to look for this info in the patents on numerous occasions but couldn't find it and forgot about it after awhile. But, looking through the patent you linked i came across it again, see below. I always thought this bit of information was critical and got little discussion on the forums. Probably b/c it was buried in the patent and not many saw it. But, in my eyes this, if they can do this, it's huge. If they can get their efficacy numbers up to around propecia/minoxidil levels, and/or if the procedure is compoundable, combined with permanence of senescent resistant follicles, it is in effect a cure.
I realize it's only a patent and they may not even attempt this in it's first iteration. But, it's good to see they're thinking in that direction. And if they are able to do it now, wow, we have good days not too far away.
(0117)Without being bound by any theory, the treatments described herein may achieve these results by increasing the capacity of the skin to generate new hair follicles and/or new follicle units; increasing the capacity of the skin to reprogram hair follicle and/or hair follicle unit development; increasing the capacity of the skin to reorganize and activate existing hair follicles and follicular structures; regulating the unique human processes that regulate visible hair growth; regulating the activity of specialized human hair follicles and/or hair follicle units; regulating specific activities of specialized human hair follicles and/or hair follicle units; regulating gender-specific specialized human hair follicles and/or hair follicle units, including those under the influence of sex-steroid regulation; altering the activity of specialized human hair follicles and/or hair follicle units, sometimes in conjunction with transplantation; regulating the differentiation of stem cells into gender-specific specialized human hair follicles and/or hair follicle units, that may result in follicles having features that are different from natural follicles in the target location of skin (e.g., normal sized follicles with terminal hair where previously miniaturized follicles with vellus hair were present); regulating or altering age-related changes in human hair follicles and/or hair follicle units and hair, including those under the influence of sex-steroid regulation; or altering, delaying or preventing programmed senescence of hair follicles and/or hair follicle units.