dNovo

dNovo Inc. is a pre-clinical biotechnology company founded in 2018 by Dr. Ernesto Lujan, who holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from Stanford. The company is focused on developing a cure for hair loss by addressing the root cause: the depletion of hair stem cells due to aging or conditions like male pattern baldness. Dr. Lujan has a background in regenerative medicine, with published research in leading scientific journals and a notable discovery in directly reprogramming skin into neural stem cells.

The company's core technology is a proprietary, patent-pending direct reprogramming system that converts a patient's own cells, such as skin, blood, or fat, directly into new, personalized hair stem cells. This method avoids going through a pluripotent state, making the process potentially quicker and more scalable. These induced hair stem cells are designed to be compatible with the patient's immune system and can be used to replenish lost or damaged cells, thereby generating new hair. dNovo has also developed a system to generate dermal papilla cells, another crucial component of the hair follicle that signals hair stem cells to promote growth.

Based in San Jose, California, dNovo was part of Y Combinator's Summer 2018 batch, which helped accelerate its development. In January 2022, the company emerged from stealth, announcing $2.7 million in seed funding from investors including Y Combinator, Felicis Ventures, and Soma Capital. The company has demonstrated proof-of-concept by successfully converting human skin cells into induced hair stem cells and has shown these cells are capable of producing hair in mouse models.

Keywords: hair loss, stem cells, direct reprogramming, regenerative medicine, biotechnology, cellular reprogramming, hair follicle, androgenic alopecia, cell therapy, hair restoration