Scientists Uncover Mechanism Behind Gray Hair

Melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) get stuck in the stem cell compartment of hair follicles as people age, losing their ability to mature and maintain hair color, according to a study by researchers from NYU Grossman School of Medicine. The study found that McSCs transform between their most primitive stem cell state and the next stage of their maturation, the transit-amplifying state, and depending on their location. The researchers plan to investigate means of restoring the motility of McSCs or of physically moving them back to their germ compartment, where they can produce pigment.