NEW YORK, Feb 3: Researchers from New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine have uncovered a potential pathway to reverse gray hair, revealing how melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) lose the ability to pigment hair as they age, according to a study published in the journal Nature.

The study, conducted in mice, found that McSCs normally travel between compartments in developing hair follicles, maturing and producing the proteins necessary for hair pigmentation. When these cells become “stuck” in one compartment, they fail to regenerate into pigment cells, leading to gray hair.

“It is the loss of chameleon-like function in melanocyte stem cells that may be responsible for graying and loss of hair color,” said Mayumi Ito, senior investigator at NYU Langone Health. She emphasized that maintaining McSC mobility and reversible differentiation is key to keeping hair colored and healthy.

Lead study author Qi Sun, a postdoctoral fellow at NYU Langone, said the findings “present a potential pathway for reversing or preventing the graying of human hair by helping jammed cells move again between developing hair follicle compartments.”

The research also showed that as hair follicles age, more McSCs become lodged in the follicle bulge compartment, reducing pigment production over time. Cells that remain mobile continue to produce pigment, suggesting that restoring McSC mobility could counteract graying.

While the findings are based on mice, researchers said the mechanisms may also exist in humans, offering a potential avenue for future treatments. The next step for the team involves investigating ways to reactivate stuck McSCs to restore hair color.

The study adds to the understanding of hair pigmentation and points to a possible method for reversing gray hair, though experts caution it remains early-stage research.