Technologies

Summary

Problem or Unmet Need:
Hair removal products and methods for both cosmetic and therapeutic applications range from the old stand-by shaving to new treatments, such as laser procedures, electrolysis and a topical hair growth inhibitor Vaniqa. However, few products provide safe, easy, fast and painless long-term hair removal. As a result, the demand remains strong for new product innovations that promise more effective and efficient hair removal or hair growth elimination with a long-lasting effect, while eliminating the common side-effects like skin irritation and pain of other existing methods.
This technology employs nucleic acid interference of specific target genes implicated in hair growth. The expression of these genes, desmoglein 4, nude and hairless, is inhibited by mRNA cleavage and/or translation repression, in order to stifle hair growth or remove hair. Catalytic nucleic acid constructs, both RNA and DNA based, for such interference-mediated inhibition are described, and compositions of carrier and vector containing these constructs have been prepared for use in humans and other mammals.