Team:GA State SW Jiaotong/Implementation
Overview
In many countries, stress-related alopecia is a common concern, and younger people are increasingly being diagnosed with this illness. Although there are some conventional treatment methods in the market, many of the drugs are preventative and ineffective in stimulating hair growth among patients. Products such as Minoxidil and Finasteride cannot have permanent effects and require continuous usage. Some of the products also have long-term negative side-effects which can cause hyperplasia of hair follicles, weight gain, and gynecomastia. Our goal is to propose a novel application of a hair care product that can stimulate hair growth in both androgenic and stress-related alopecia.
Current research shows that the growth arrest-specific protein(GAS6) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) proteins can reactivate hair follicle stem cells and make them return to normal growth status. Thus, heterologous expression of GAS6 and EGF proteins could provide a new idea in alopecia treatment. We have also came up with the idea of applying living-cell production system combined with a suicide switch design for the protein products. In Bacillus subtilis, the engineered bacteria can be formulated into a product which would then be applied to the scalp to regenerate hair growth. Formulation of this product would be done with guidance from both clinical practitioners and chemists. The progress on the development of HNOSS is to provide an effective way to cure stress-related and androgenetic alopecia.
Fig1.The implementation loop for the Hnoss
Targeted Users
We propose this product to individuals who suffer from hair loss.
Market Overview
We propose this product to individuals who suffer from hair loss. Based on the market analysis from Mordor Intelligence, the Asian Pacific is the fastest growing market and North America is the largest market for hair loss. Females are expected to hold the largest share over the forecast period. Alopecia can severely affect a woman's emotional well-being and quality of life. Hair loss is a critical issue among men and women across the world. Men have been suffering from hair loss for a long time due to Androgenetic Alopecia or common male pattern baldness (MPB). Likewise, women are also experiencing increased hair loss, due to external factors, such as environmental pollution and chemicals. Although Alopecia is more common in males than females, females have the largest share in the market due to factors such as high awareness levels coupled with increased frequency of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) causing a hormonal imbalance that leads to androgenetic alopecia. According to the United States National Library of Medicine, Alopecia areata affects 1 in every 500 to 1,000 people in the United States. The high prevalence and the proportionally high treatment rates pertaining to hair loss in the U.S. are major drivers for the North American market.
Many individuals experience increased stress levels due to changing lifestyle patterns and adopting a hectic schedule. This can result in frequent hair loss at an earlier stage among the young population and may cause a greater emphasis on appearance. The presence of alternative treatment options such as hair transplant surgery, laser, light-based therapies, and the high cost of medications all have obvious defects. Therefore, Hnoss works to alleviate hair loss through "engineering bacteria + hydrogel+emulsion" combined with a microneedle. In the long-term planning, Hnoss will provide a further outlook for products like shampoo and essential oils to reduce the psychological burden of treatment.
Cooperation direction
The companies of aesthetic medicine are the main cooperators for Hnoss. In this day of age, it is becoming apparent that patients not only want to be in good physical health, they also want to minimize the effects of normal aging to improve their overall well-being. As such, the demand for quick, non-invasive procedures with minimal downtime has increased significantly. The needle is nowadays replacing the scalpel in the world of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Medicine as patients strive to maintain a natural and youthful appearance. Aesthetic medicine bridges the gap between beauty and health.The decision-making process for the patient is unique to each patient and the type and extent of each treatment varies based on the level of correction/augmentation desired by the patient. Moreover, compared to hair transplant, Hnoss uses a microneedle which is more gentle and has less side-effects
The hospital is also our cooperation object which will provide more professional treatment. Hnoss utilizes the mode of “hydrogel+emulsion” which can be injected into HFSC (hair follicle stem cells) to deliver an effective protein.
Patients
Rather than undergoing hair transplants and following other expensive treatments, Hnoss provides a cheaper and more convenient treatment for patients. On one hand, Hnoss focuses on both stress-related alopecia and Androgenetic alopecia that can satisfy the needs of most patients. On the other hand, Hnoss is a protein expression product which is much cheaper than normal treatment like hair transplants.
Hnoss series product
To satisfy most patients’ needs and avoid any inconveniences that the injection may cause, Hnoss designed future products. Hnoss have surveyed many existing essential oil and shampoo on the market to select some effective ingredients.Hnoss also checked the large amount of references and under the guidance of experts, Hnoss selected the most effective ingredients for treating hair loss. We have also designed recipes for essential oils and shampoos.
Essential Oil
Essential oil: Water、Glucose、Hydrogel、Glycerin、Tocopherol、Caffeine、Arginine、Phenoxyethanol、Menthol、Sodium hyaluronate、Polysorbate-20、Panthenol、Citric acid、Scutellaria baicalensis root extract、Salvia officinalis oil、PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil、Parfum、Lactose、Tryptophan
Shampoo
Shampoo:Water、Sodium laureth sulate Cocamidopropyl betaine、Disodium cocoamphodiacetate、Sodium methyl cocoon taurte、Cocamide MEA、Polysorbate-20、Hydrolyzed keratin、Glycerin、Citric acid、Arginine、Sodium hydroxide、Sodium chloride、Sodium benzoate、Polyquaternium-10、Disodium EDTA、Parfum
Users can first spread the essential oil that contains engineering bacteria on their hair and let it sit for a while. Then, users should wash off all the essential oil in order to avoid any adverse impacts.
Safety
To assert users’ rights, our product will have clear and transparent instructions which will include the possible side effects and suitable individuals for the use of this product. We have also designed a suicide switch system to ensure all the engineering bacteria die.
