Scientists say cure for baldness could be close

 

Scientists say cure for baldness could be close   

watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6wWKIyLlcM

Help may soon be at hand for those who are losing or have lost their hair. A team of Japanese scientists has discovered stem cells that are vital in the hair regeneration process. This is promising news for the millions of people worldwide who suffer from baldness. A cure has eluded scientists for decades, despite extensive research and significant investment in research. The scientists are now embarking on clinical research and laboratory trials. They hope to adapt the stem cells to finally create a therapy for hair loss. Baldness predominantly affects men. By the age of 35, around two-thirds of men will experience some degree of hair loss. By the age of 50, up to 85 per cent will experience significantly thinning hair.

The scientists took fur cells from mice and cultured them in the lab. They observed that hair growth was a cyclical process within the follicle. They analysed the stem cells and used 220 combinations of chemicals to make the hair regrow naturally. Lead scientist Takashi Tsuji said: "Our culture system establishes a method for cyclical regeneration of hair follicles from hair follicle stem cells and will help make hair follicle regeneration therapy a reality in the near future." He added: "Losing hair is not life-threatening, but it adversely affects the quality of life." Sam Baker, a 52-year-old bank worker, hopes the therapy works. He said: "Having a full head of hair again will make me look ten years younger".


4. LOSS: How bad is it to lose these things? What can we do about it? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

How Bad?

What We Can Do

Hair loss

 

 

Teeth loss

 

 

Memory loss

 

 

Loss of bladder control

 

 

Loss of appetite

 

 

Hearing loss

 

 

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1.

at hand

a.

Absolutely necessary or important; essential.

      2.

vital

b.

Showing signs of future success.

      3.

regeneration

c.

Mainly; for the most part.

      4.

promising

d.

The action or process of making something grow again.

      5.

cure

e.

Failed to be attained by someone.

      6.

eluded

f.

Here; available now.

      7.

predominantly

g.

A substance or treatment that makes a disease or condition go away.

    Paragraph 2

      8.

fur

h.

Of tissue cells, bacteria, etc. grown or propagated in an artificial way.

      9.

cultured

i.

Happening again and again.

      10.

cyclical

j.

In a way that prevents success or development; harmfully or unfavorably.

      11.

combination

k.

The base of a hair under the skin in which the hair grows.

      12.

follicle

l.

A mixture of different things.

      13.

life-threatening

m.

The short, fine, soft hair of certain animals.

      14.

adversely

n.

A great danger to the existence of someone.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. The article says hair on people's hands could be put on heads.     T / F
  2. The article says scientists have promised millions of bald people.     T / F
  3. The article says scientists have not found a cure for centuries.     T / F
  4. Up to 85% of men will have thinned hair before they are 50.     T / F
  5. Scientists experimented on the fur of mice.     T / F
  6. A scientist wants to make a hair loss therapy in the far future.     T / F
  7. A scientist said hair loss is not life-threatening.     T / F
  8. A banker wants hair so he can look 10 years younger.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. at hand
  2. vital
  3. eluded
  4. embarking on
  5. degree
  6. observed
  7. combinations
  8. therapy
  9. reality
  10. adversely
  1. mixes
  2. starting
  3. level
  4. essential
  5. actuality
  6. about to happen
  7. treatment
  8. negatively
  9. evaded
  10. noticed

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. Help may soon
  2. discovered stem cells that
  3. embarking
  4. Baldness predominantly
  5. significantly thinning
  6. The scientists took fur
  7. hair growth was a cyclical
  8. a reality in the near
  9. Losing hair is not life-
  10. Having a full
  1. affects men
  2. on clinical research
  3. hair
  4. head of hair
  5. process
  6. be at hand
  7. threatening
  8. cells from mice
  9. are vital
  10. future

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

vital
embarking
thinning
hand
degree
eluded
therapy
suffer

Help may soon be at (1) _____________________ for those who are losing or have lost their hair. A team of Japanese scientists has discovered stem cells that are (2) _____________________ in the hair regeneration process. This is promising news for the millions of people worldwide who (3) _____________________ from baldness. A cure has (4) _____________________ scientists for decades, despite extensive research and significant investment in research. The scientists are now (5) _____________________ on clinical research and laboratory trials. They hope to adapt the stem cells to finally create a (6) _____________________ for hair loss. Baldness predominantly affects men. By the age of 35, around two-thirds of men will experience some (7) _____________________ of hair loss. By the age of 50, up to 85 per cent will experience significantly (8) _____________________ hair.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

adversely
combinations
follicles
fur
reality
cyclical
full
naturally

The scientists took (9) _____________________ cells from mice and cultured them in the lab. They observed that hair growth was a (10) _____________________ process within the follicle. They analysed the stem cells and used 220 (11) _____________________ of chemicals to make the hair regrow (12) _____________________. Lead scientist Takashi Tsuji said: "Our culture system establishes a method for cyclical regeneration of hair (13) _____________________ from hair follicle stem cells and will help make hair follicle regeneration therapy a (14) _____________________ in the near future." He added: "Losing hair is not life-threatening, but it (15) _____________________ affects the quality of life." Sam Baker, a 52-year-old bank worker, hopes the therapy works. He said: "Having a (16) _____________________ head of hair again will make me look ten years younger".

Comprehension questions

  1. What nationality are the scientists who conducted this research?
  2. What did scientists find that is vital for the hair regeneration process?
  3. For how long does the article say a cure has evaded scientists?
  4. What do scientists hope to find a therapy for?
  5. What percentage of men experience hair thinning by the age of 50?
  6. What animal's fur did scientists test?
  7. How many combinations of chemicals did scientists use to regrow hair?
  8. What did a scientist say hair loss is not?
  9. What did a scientist say hair loss adversely affects?
  10. How much younger did a banker say he wants to look?

Role play

Role  A – Hair Dryer
You think a hair dyer is the most important hair product. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): shampoo, hair dye or hair spray.

Role  B – Shampoo
You think shampoo is the most important hair product. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): a hair dyer, hair dye or hair spray.

Role  C – Hair Dye
You think hair dye is the most important hair product. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): shampoo, a hair dyer or hair spray.

Role  D – Hair Spray
You think hair spray is the most important hair product. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why): shampoo, hair dye or a hair dyer.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'baldness'

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

and 'cure'.

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________

·  ________________



Discussion - Baldness

  1. What did you think when you read the headline?
  2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'baldness'?
  3. What do you think of baldness?
  4. Why do we need hair?
  5. What are the advantages of being bald?
  6. What do you think of your hair?
  7. How would you feel about being bald?
  8. What do you think of bald people?
  9. How important is a cure for baldness?
  10. What advice do you have for people who are going bald?
  1. What do you think of when you hear the word 'cure'?
  2. What do you think about what you read?
  3. What do you do to look after your hair?
  4. What can people do if they are going bald?
  5. What do you know about the process of hair growth?
  6. How might going bald affect people's mental health?
  7. What do you think of bald women?
  8. How attractive is it to be bald?
  9. What questions would you like to ask the scientists?

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

Help may soon be at (1) ____ for those who are losing or have lost their hair. A team of Japanese scientists has discovered stem cells that are (2) ____ in the hair regeneration process. This is (3) ____ news for the millions of people worldwide who suffer from baldness. A cure has eluded scientists for decades, despite extensive research and significant investment in research. The scientists are now embarking (4) ____ clinical research and laboratory trials. They hope to (5) ____ the stem cells to finally create a therapy for hair loss. Baldness predominantly affects men. By the age of 35, around two-thirds of men will experience some degree of hair loss. By the age of 50, up to 85 per cent will experience significantly (6) ____ hair.

The scientists took (7) ____ cells from mice and cultured them in the lab. They observed that hair growth was a (8) ____ process within the follicle. They analysed the stem cells and used 220 combinations of chemicals to make the hair regrow naturally. Lead scientist Takashi Tsuji said: "Our (9) ____ system establishes a method for cyclical regeneration of hair follicles from hair follicle stem cells and will help make hair follicle regeneration therapy a (10) ____ in the near future." He added: "Losing hair is not life-threatening, but it (11) ____ affects the quality of life." Sam Baker, a 52-year-old bank worker, hopes the therapy works. He said: "Having a full (12) ____ of hair again will make me look ten years younger".

Which of these words go in the above text?

  1. (a)     head     (b)     hand     (c)     heart     (d)     hamstring    
  2. (a)     viral     (b)     vital     (c)     fetal     (d)     vocal    
  3. (a)     vowing     (b)     avowing     (c)     pledging     (d)     promising    
  4. (a)     at     (b)     on     (c)     of     (d)     as    
  5. (a)     adept     (b)     adopt     (c)     adroit     (d)     depot    
  6. (a)     wiping     (b)     slimming     (c)     thinning     (d)     dieting    
  7. (a)     for     (b)     fir     (c)     fur     (d)     far    
  8. (a)     cycling     (b)     cycled     (c)     cyclical     (d)     cylindrical    
  9. (a)     tradition     (b)     heritage     (c)     customs     (d)     culture    
  10. (a)     reality     (b)     fantasy     (c)     here and now     (d)     possible    
  11. (a)     adversely     (b)     conversely     (c)     verses     (d)     versing    
  12. (a)     hippocampus     (b)     skull     (c)     head     (d)     brain

Spelling

Paragraph 1

  1. stem cells that are vaitl
  2. A cure has delude scientists
  3. despite xetnivese research
  4. mkbaengir on clinical research
  5. Baldness mditrplnonaye affects men
  6. tsinnyciiafgl thinning hair

Paragraph 2

  1. ultecurd them in the lab
  2. hair growth was a acyclcil process
  3. hair oillfecl
  4. irteaoeegrnn therapy
  5. Losing hair is not life-rteagnenthi
  6. it salevdrey affects the quality of life

 

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