Scientists May Have Found the Cure for Baldness and Grey Hair

Hate looking into the mirror because of the evident signs of balding? Have you been trying all sorts of remedies and medicines to prevent balding? According to a new study done by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the presence or absence of a group of cells may be behind your balding, or greying hair, as well as the cause for those lush tresses. The findings showed that a protein called KROX20 - commonly associated with nerve development - turns on in skin cells that become the hair shaft. These hair precursor, or progenitor, cells then produce a protein called stem cell factor (SCF) - essential for hair pigmentation.

In the study, when the researchers deleted the SCF gene in the hair progenitor cells in mouse models, the animal's hair turned white. When they deleted the KROX20-producing cells, no hair grew and the mice became bald.

If cells with functioning KROX20 and SCF are present, they move up from the base, or bulb, of hair follicles, interact with pigment-producing melanocyte cells, and grow into pigmented hairs. But without SCF, the hair in mouse models was grey, and then turned white with age. Without KROX20-producing cells, no hair grew, the study said.

^{Image credit: Istock}"With this knowledge, we hope to create a topical compound or to safely deliver the necessary gene to hair follicles to correct these cosmetic problems," said Lu Le, Associate Professor at the university.

The results published in the journal Genes and Development could help identify possible treatments for balding and hair greying.

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