Key points from article :
“Hair color depends on melanocyte stem cells,” - Melissa Harris, assistant professor of biology.
Over time, these cells deplete losing their ability to make melanin.
Factors including smoking, diet, stress and genetics may speed up gray hair.
People’s hair may turn gray in response to illness or chronic stress.
Too much immune response is bad for melanocyte stem cells, and this leads to gray hair.
“With the aging process, we gradually lose melanocyte stem cells,” - Ya-Chieh Hsu, faculty member, Harvard Stem Cell Institute.
Too much norepinephrine leads to rapid depletion of stem cells reservoir,” - Melissa Harris.
ACTH cause melanocyte stem cells to migrate away from the hair follicle.
Possibility that scientists discover ways to prevent or reverse gray hair.
“Team Hair-Us” increased melanocyte stem cells in mice.
Study by Harvard University, New York University, University of Maryland published in PLOS Biology, Cell Reports and Nature.
