The movement of stem cells within hair follicles may explain why hair pigment is lost with age...
Researchers in New York studying hair follicles in mice found that the stem cells that produce the pigment in hair move between compartments in the follicle to function. However – according to research published in Nature – with ageing, they get stuck in one compartment meaning that they are no longer exposed to the signals they need to make the pigments for hair colour. As a result, the hair turns grey or white.
'Our study adds to our basic understanding of how melanocyte stem cells work to colour hair,' said first author Dr Qi Sun from the New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine. 'The newfound mechanisms raise the possibility that the same fixed positioning of melanocyte stem cells may exist in humans.'
Read the full article from Dr Emma Grey - https://www.progress.org.uk/stuck-stem-cells-may-cause-hair-to-turn-grey/
Planer Blog
