I asked Drew if we were heading toward a future where my younger cells become a currency I could trade. He didn’t say “no”.
There’s a version of you from ten years ago. Skin that bounced back, hair that grew in thick, cells that healed fast and inflamed less.
That version is gone.
Unless you saved it.
This week on the Nina’s Notes Podcast, I sit down with Drew Taylor, CEO of Acorn Biolabs, whose team figured out that the stem cell goldmine we’ve been drilling into hip bones to reach has been sitting at the root of your hair this whole time.
With their protocol, you pluck about hairs from the back of your head at your doctor’s office, the follicles get shipped to a lab, checked for viability, and dropped into liquid nitrogen at -196°C.
At that temperature there’s no metabolism. No aging. Nothing.
A version of you, frozen mid-sentence in storage for when you need it.
And, banking those cells costs less than Netflix. $190 a year for frozen storage.
Acorn has already taken plucked hair follicles, turned them into iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells which can become anything) and turned them into cartilage, bone, fat, and neurons. They even pushed those neurons into the exact dopamine-producing cells that Parkinson’s destroys. Acron is also exploring using their protocol to create pancreatic cells for type 1 diabetes, and natural killer cells that hunt down senescent and cancerous cells, the same population that falls off a cliff as we age.
Oh, and three patients have reported their gray hairs coming back. Nobody was tracking for that!
I also asked - Who actually owns your cells if the company gets acquired? Does banking at 12 versus 45 create a two-tier longevity system? He answered both without flinching.
Watch & listen to the whole episode on 🔴YouTube 🟢 Spotify, 🟣 Apple Podcasts, 🟠 Substack Podcasts
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the future of healthcare and cell currency
02:05 The significance of cells in regenerative medicine
06:19 Innovative methods for stem cell collection from hair follicles
08:26 From plucked hair to banked cells: the process explained
15:31 The secretome: what it is and how it benefits skin and hair
24:40 Protocols and treatments for skin and hair regeneration
28:30 Using AI to enhance regenerative medicine workflows
37:32 Future therapeutics: from 3D printed organs to cell therapies
44:28 Ownership, accessibility, and the future of cell banking
52:39 Sci-fi visions of medicine: bioprinting and organ regeneration
53:26 The importance of early cell banking and next steps
LINKS
Acorn Biolabs - https://acorn.me/
Cell Banking - https://acorn.me/cell-banking/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-taylor-65b6ab10/
ABOUT DREW TAYLOR:
Dr. Drew Taylor is Founder and CEO of Acorn Biolabs, a regenerative medicine company pioneering the use of a person’s own cells to power longevity, aesthetics, and personalized healthcare. With a PhD in stem cell bioengineering, he leads development of the world’s first non-invasive platform for banking hair follicle stem cells and YOU™, an autologous secretome for skin rejuvenation, hair restoration, and recovery. His work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and NewBeauty, and Acorn now partners with more than 200 medical practices across North America.
ABOUT NINA’S NOTES: Nina’s Notes explores the intersection of longevity science, neuroscience, and human optimization. Hosted by Nina Patrick, PhD in pharmaceutical sciences and longevity researcher, each episode translates cutting-edge research into actionable insights for living longer, better.
CONNECT WITH NINA’S NOTES
Newsletter: https://www.niasnotes.xyz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninapatrick/
Website: https://www.ninapatrick.xyz
