This invention provides methods of treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA), acne, rosacea, prostate cancer, and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), comprising the step of contacting a subject with a compound or composition capable of decreasing prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) level or activity, a downstream signaling or receptor pathway thereof, or prostaglandin D2 synthase level or activity; methods of stimulating hair growth, comprising the step of contacting a subject with a compound or composition capable of increasing or decreasing the activity or level of a target gene of the present invention, or with a protein product of the target gene or an analogue or mimetic thereof; and methods of testing for AGA and evaluating therapeutic methods thereof, comprising measuring PGD2 levels.

Embodiments of the methods and compositions provided herein relate to inducing hair growth in a subject. Some embodiments include screening for agents to modulate hair growth.

Method and compositions for inducing the self-renewal of stem/progenitor supporting cells comprised by a cochlear cell population, including inducing the stem/progenitor cells to proliferate while maintaining, in the daughter cells, the capacity to differentiate into hair cells.

The present invention describes a method for producing de novo papillae comprising the steps of a) providing isolated dermal papilla fibroblasts (DPF) from at least one dermal papilla (DP) from at least one hair follicle, b) providing isolated connective tissue sheath fibroblasts (CTSF) from at least one hair follicle and c) co-culturing the DPF with the CTSF under substantially non-adherent cell culture conditions to form spheroid cell aggregates.

Methods for generating cells of the inner ear, e.g., hair cells and supporting cells, from stem cells, e.g., mesenchymal stem cells, are provided, as well as compositions including the inner ear cells. Methods for the therapeutic use of the inner ear cells for the treatment of hearing loss are also described.

Provided is a manufacturing method for a plurality of regenerated hair follicle germs, including a step including simultaneously inoculating a microwell plate including regularly arranged microwell portions with mesenchymal cells and epithelial cells, and co-culturing the mesenchymal cells and the epithelial cells using a medium containing a fibroblast growth factor while supplying oxygen to the mesenchymal cells and the epithelial cells from at least an upper surface and a bottom surface of the microwell plate, to thereby form hair follicle germs in the microwell portions, the microwell plate being formed of a material having oxygen permeability. Also provided is a kit for hair regeneration, including: a microwell plate including regularly arranged microwell portions; and a fibroblast growth factor, wherein the microwell plate is formed of a material having oxygen permeability.

The present invention is directed to a method of producing compositions including embryonic proteins. The method includes culturing cells under hypoxic conditions on a biocompatible surface in vitro. The culturing method produces both soluble and non-soluble fractions, which may be used separately or in combination to obtain physiologically acceptable compositions useful in a variety of medical and therapeutic applications.

The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of autologous human primary hair follicles in 3D cultures, comprising the isolation of primary fetal follicles; isolation of the patient's hair follicle cells; isolation of skin cells of the patient's scalp; extraction of growth factors from fetal follicle cells; the fibrin gel creation that contains growth factors of fetal follicles; sandwich cultivation of patient's hair follicle cells and skin of the patients scalp on or into fibrin gel that contains growth factors of fetal follicles; separation from fibrin gel the patients primary hair follicles, which can be used to treat baldness as an autologous graft.

The present disclosure provides a reprosome that can induce reprogramming of a cell, in which the reprosome is characterized by including RNA of a gene involved in chromatin remodeling, in which the gene includes a kinase gene on a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction system, and a gene having histone modification activity. The reprosome may be obtained from a stem cell difficult to process and/or from a readily obtainable somatic cell via a simple process including ultrasonic treatment. A reprogramming of one kind of a cell into another kind of a cell with a desired function can be achieved at a high efficiency in a short time via a simple treatment including a co-culturing between the reprosome and the cell. The cell thus obtained has the desired function without introduction of a chemical or foreign transcription factor into a genome and thus is more suitable for cell replacement therapies. Further, the present disclosure provides a composition including the reprosome and a method for regenerating a tissue by treating a body site with the composition to promote reprogramming of a cell present in the treated body site to a target cell having a desired function.

Provided are compositions and methods comprising PI3K agonists for increasing proliferation of cochlear supporting cells or vestibular supporting cells, and related methods of treating hearing or balance disorders.