Uncovering the Cause of Gray Hair: Stuck Stem Cells

Melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) lose their ability to move between hair follicle compartments as people age, leading to hair graying. McSCs are plastic, meaning they continually shift between maturity stages and compartments within hair follicles. However, as hair ages and regrows repeatedly, more McSCs become stuck in the hair follicle bulge and are unable to mature into pigment-producing cells. Restoring McSC motility or moving them back to their germ compartment could potentially reverse or prevent hair graying in humans.