Gray Hair Mystery: Melanocyte Stem Cells and the Aging Process

Gray Hair Mystery: Melanocyte Stem Cells and the Aging Process

Scientists have discovered a potential reason behind hair graying by studying hair follicles in mice, which may eventually lead to ways to prevent or reverse the process. Hair turns gray due to a lack of specialized pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. However, it remains unclear why this shortage occurs and how to prevent it.

Low cholesterol slows HIV progression

Low cholesterol in immune cells slows HIV progression – Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have identified why some HIV-infected people experience much slower disease progression, even without medication, and it has to do with cholesterol levels in specific immune cells.

Blood stem cells longevity mechanism discovered

Mechanism Behind Blood Stem Cells’ Longevity Discovered – The blood stem cells that live in bone marrow are at the top of a complex family tree. Such stem cells split and divide down various pathways that ultimately produce red cells, white cells and platelets. These “daughter” cells must be produced at a rate of about one million per second to constantly replenish the body’s blood supply.

Stem cell transplant may restore memory

Stem cell transplant restores memory, learning in mice – A study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the first to show that human stem cells can successfully implant themselves in the brain and then heal neurological deficits, says senior author Su-Chun Zhang, a professor of neuroscience and neurology.

Omega 3 supplements may slow aging effects

Omega-3 supplements may slow a biological effect of aging – Taking enough omega-3 fatty acid supplements to change the balance of oils in the diet could slow a key biological process linked to aging, new research suggests.

Antibody may cure variety of human cancers

Single antibody shrinks variety of human tumors transplanted into mice, Stanford study shows – Human tumors transplanted into laboratory mice disappeared or shrank when scientists treated the animals with a single antibody. This antibody works by masking a protein flag on cancer cells that protects them from macrophages and other cells in the immune system.