The end of gray hair? A study warned that the graying process could be reversed

gray hair represents one of the most obvious symptoms old age, so some people look for ways to hide things like hair dyes. However, A group Scientists Suggests that white hair can be replaced. To find out how, they began to search for the reason for its appearance.

Researchers at the Grossman School of Medicine New York University (NYU) discovered the key to gray hair Melanocyte stem cells (McSC, its abbreviation in English), which provides pigment.

According to their study, published magazine NatureIt has been observed that in a healthy situation McSC moves between different Hair follicle areas Growing in research subjects, they are mice. These compartments allow McSCs to mature and acquire Protein It regenerates pigment cellsAllows color to continue as hair grows.

However, in some cases, McSCs become trapped in a compartment hair follicle and cannot return to the site of origin WNT proteins They promote transformation into pigmented cells. In this case, in the absence of coloring agent, the white hair.

“Loss of chameleon function of melanocyte stem cells may be responsible for gray hair and loss of hair color,” explained the study’s principal investigator Professor Mayumi Ito in a press release. Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology And Langone Health Department of Cell BiologyA NYU Dept.

Meanwhile, he clarifies, “These findings are suggestive Movement And this reversible difference Melanocytes are important for maintaining stem cells Healthy and colored hair”.

McSCs focus on manufacturing pigment And they are different from the cells responsible for hair growth. Therefore, hair continues to grow even without pigmentation. NYU research shows that process Hair growth Over the years, the number of McSCs in follicular inflammation continues to increase.

At some point, these non-pigment-producing follicular swellings comprise approximately 50% of all McSCs.

McSCs that are mobile retain the ability to produce pigment, but due to constant changes in the needs of degenerating McSCs over time, the appearance of hair Volatile matches old age.

And while stress has been linked to hair graying, unrelated Harvard research has shown that stress accelerates hair growth, which also accelerates the aging process of hair follicles.

According to the NYU study, “For unknown reasons, the melanocyte stem cell system fails earlier than other adult stem cell populations, leading to hair graying in most humans and mice.”

The NYU team’s next step is to investigate how to get McSCs, once stuck, to move again. Because they produce pigment once they move. It could mean the end white hair.

Finally, researchers argue that studies like these bring us one step closer to a cure CancerIt expands the understanding of function and regulation Mother cells in our body.

“We are interested in how the stem cells that reside in our body are properly maintained and how they can reform when tissue is lost due to injury,” Ito pointed out. NPRand “control when Mother cells If it goes out of control, it can lead to many health problems Cancers”.