Research into a rare genetic disease reveals what causes graying and balding hair. Dr. Lu Le and his team at the University of Texas are confident that his findings could pave the way for the treatment of these conditions, which occur in many men and women. The scientists studied so-called neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disease in which tumors grow on nerves. Their main goal was to discover their growth mechanisms, but instead identified the processes that are responsible for the onset of hair loss and graying. Graying and hair loss are considered normal by many people, but for others they are more of a cause for concern. Studies by Dr. Le and his colleagues show that hair follicles contain stem cells that are involved in hair production. The protein KROX20 is also important for this process. When the stem cells nestle at the base of the hair follicles, it activates the skin cells and thus the hair shafts are formed. Thus, hair progenitor cells produce the SCF protein involved in hair pigmentation. The properties of KROX20 and SCF were discovered by studying mice whose skin cells possessed both substances. The results show that these cells communicate with melanocytes and form pigmented hairs. It is the melanocyte cells that produce the pigment that gives the color not only to our hair, but also to our eyes and skin. When the scientists took mice without SCF, they found that they had gray hairs that did not blacken over time, but turned white. This leads them to argue that abnormalities in KROX20 and SCF play a significant role in hair loss and graying, although they need more research in humans to confirm the claims. NEWS_MORE_BOX “Although we started this project to understand how certain tumors form, we took it in a different direction and discovered what in the cell causes the hair to turn gray. We hope in the future to go ahead and get a typical compound by which we can get the hair follicle gene we need. That way, we won’t have to dye our hair to cover up gray hairs,” concludes Dr. Lew. About two-thirds of men over the age of 35 in the US suffer from hair loss. Women with this condition in the country are about 40%. shows information on Genes and Development, where the study results were published. Between 6 and 23% of adults worldwide are expected to have half gray hair by age 50.