ISLAMABAD: Scientists from the New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine have discovered that pigment-making cells which fail to mature may be the cause of grey hair as people age.
The research, conducted on mice which have melanocyte cells that are also found in humans, could lead to the development of treatments to reverse the process of grey hair.
The study could have implications beyond reversing grey hair. The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) has noted that work on melanocytes could also help in the understanding and treatment of certain cancers and other medical conditions.
Lead investigator of the study, Qi Sun, argued: “The newfound mechanisms increase the possibility that the same fixed-positioning of melanocyte stem cells may exist in human beings.
If so, it presents a potential way for reversing or preventing the greying of human hair by helping jammed cells to move again between developing hair follicle compartments.”
Melanocytes responsible for hair colour
Melanocytes reside in the hair follicles and are responsible for hair colour. The colour is controlled by continually multiplying pools of melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) within the hair follicles.
The scientists found that as hair ages, sheds, and then repeatedly grows back, increasing numbers of McSCs get stuck in the stem cell compartment called the hair follicle bulge, where they remain.
Mayumi Ito, a senior investigator in the study, said: “It is the loss of chameleon-like function in melanocyte stem cells that may be responsible for greying and loss of hair colour.”
Dr Sun added: “Our study adds to our basic understanding of how melanocyte stem cells work to colour hair. If so, it presents a potential way for reversing or preventing the greying.”
The discovery of the mechanism behind grey hair could open up new potential treatments, if it holds true for humans.
