The British government is reportedly spending 1.85 million pounds ($3.5 million) for a Cambridge-based company that is building a robot to help treat baldness.
The company, Biosciences firm Intercytex is developing a treatment where hair follicles from the back of the neck would be multiplied and replaced when they are needed.
On Friday Intercytex announced the news the funds from the government’s Technology Program, would be used in their efforts to develop a robotic system to speed up the process of multiplying the hair cells before they are replanted.
Intercytex Chief Executive Nick Higgins told Reuters earlier this week, "The technology is challenging. No one has done this before."
"We take cells responsible for hair growth, multiply them and then inject them in the head. We tease out the cells responsible for growing a new hair. The challenge is to make sure they grow thick enough and quick enough so they are cosmetically acceptable," he added.
According to reports, the most common form of baldness is triggered by the male hormone dihydrotestosterone, which causes shrinking of follicles and makes hair to appear thin before disappearing altogether.
The research by the company is now in intermediate Phase II testing after having safely been tested on a handful of volunteers.
During a 30-minute operation under anesthesia, the hair is taken out and replanted three weeks later after the cells have had time to grow.
