Gray hair may offer natural protection against skin cancer, study finds

A groundbreaking study conducted by the researchers at Tokyo Medical University and Dental University identified how graying hair is connected to one of the most virulent forms of skin cancer.

The study findings were published in the journal Nature Cell Biology on October 6 and found that pigment-producing stem cells in hair follicles respond to stress in different ways.

It was stated in a university press release that cells in certain environments may either die, or proliferate, probably leading to melanoma.

Meanwhile, researchers scrutinized melanocyte stem cells, the cells that give hair and skin their color, using mouse models and tissue samples.

While exposing these cells to forms of stress that damage DNA-such as chemicals that mimic UV exposure-the scientists observed how the cells act inside their natural environment.

It has been observed that graying occurs when cells stop revitalizing themselves and transform into mature pigment cells that eventually die in response to damage. This process dissipates the hair of its color source.

On the contrary, researchers modified the surrounding tissue to enhance cell viability, and the damaged stem cells began re-dividing instead of shutting down.

Those surviving cells assembled more genetic damage and started behaving like cancer cells in certain cases.

The experiments further disclosed signals from the cellular environment such as the cell growth-promoting molecule KIT ligand, in response to movement along an adhesion gradient.

This suggests that the fate of a cell, whether it differentiates normally or develops into melanoma, is determined by the signals from surrounding tissues.

The researchers further demonstrated that this finding does not imply that gray hair prevents cancer; rather, when pigment cells cease to divide and subsequently pass away, it represents the body’s mechanism for diminishing damaged cells.

The study was performed on mice, but its implications help scientists to better understand why some people develop melanoma without warning signs and how the natural mechanisms of aging could help to fight against cancer.

Nonetheless, the discovery shows that grey hair is a visible marker of a balanced body’s cellular responses and demonstrates how tiny changes in the balance can mean the difference between a harmless aging and a serious disease.