I’m always excited to hear about new technologies that help people, especially during times of ill health. Today I send kudos to fellow San Diego entrepreneur,  Cooler Heads founder and CEO Kate Dilligan, who has brought a device to the market that helps chemo patients retain their hair during treatment. Essentially this portable device is applied over the scalp during chemo treatments to cool the scalp, thereby constricting blood vessels, resulting in reduced flow of the chemo drugs to the hair follicles. The hair follicles are largely spared the treatment and the follicle maintains its hair growth cycle. Brilliant!

Hair is an important part of self, and loosing one’s hair, especially so rapidly as happens during chemo treatment, is especially devasting to people. During any disease and treatment of disease, maintaining positive emotions is an important means of helping to regain one’s health. Further, hair loss is associated with inflammation, and inflammation in the skin (in this case the scalp) is associated with systemic inflammation. Many diseases, especially chronic diseases are associated with inflammation. Cooler Heads therefore, beyond promoting positive emotions, may be helping to control systemic inflammation during a time when the body is under tremendous insult and inflammation needs to be minimized.

At the San Diego-based company that I cofounded, NeoGenesis, we too are reducing hair loss during chemo treatment and helping to reduce inflammation. Our approach is different and complementary to how Cooler Heads solves the problem. Our approach uses the molecules that human adult stem cells derived from the skin (including the scalp) normally release into the skin. The approach we use is conceptually what I call, Systems Therapeutics for Physiological Renormalization.” Basically, we use multiple molecule types, called a system therapeutic, to restore the compromised tissue (scalp) to the normal physiological state. Normal tissue function is largely restored and inflammation is reduced. Hair growth can be restored for most people who use our technology. Our technology at NeoGenesis is also being successfully used to treat dermatitis associated with chemo and irradiation, and importantly, to prevent it from happening. If our stem cell released molecules are used before and during chemo and radiation treatment, most patients will prevent or greatly reduce the associated dermatitis. If our technology is used once the dermatitis has manifested, the condition can be greatly remediated. For the hair loss associated with chemo, I’m hoping to see whether the two technologies from Cooler Heads and NeoGenesis work together in a synergistic manner.