THE race is on to turn a hair-raising North-East invention into a money spinner.
It is exactly six years since a pioneering hair transplant involving two North-East scientists was announced in the science journal Nature.
The scientific first, which involved a wife growing her husband's hair on her arm, showed it was possible to grow hair on another person's skin by transplanting cells from the base of a hair root.
At the time, the Durham University couple played down the potential commercial applications, but they acknowledged it could pave the way for a treatment for baldness.
This week, stem cell expert Professor Colin Jahoda said he is still pursuing his research into the technique. But he conceded that the advantage had shifted to the US.
"Other groups have taken this on and attempts to grow hair in this way are being made in the US," said Prof Jahoda.
"There is a big degree of secrecy surrounding all of this, but I think they are still making progress."
During a series of experiments, Dr Jahoda provided samples of skin from his scalp, which were dissected under a microscope. Tiny fragments of tissue taken from the base of his hair follicles were then implanted into a nick made in his wife's forearm.
The theory was that the follicle cells would communicate with the surrounding skin cells and produce new hair.
The experiment was carried out in collaboration with Newcastle University skin expert, Mr Clifford Lawrence.
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