01/30/2026
No more pulling out the grey’s…
Hair greying may be more than cosmetic. It may be protective.
A new Nature Cell Biology study suggests that when melanocyte stem cells experience DNA damage, they often choose senescence and pigment loss rather than continued self-renewal, a trade-off that appears to reduce melanoma risk in preclinical models.
Under carcinogenic stress, that protective pathway can be bypassed, increasing cancer risk.
A reminder that some features of aging may reflect tumor-suppressive biology, not simple decline.
DOI: 10.1038/s41556-025-01769-9
Limitations: Primarily preclinical (mouse models); mechanistic and hypothesis-generating, not prescriptive. Public research funding (JSPS, AMED); One of the study authors is a co-founder of EADERM Co., Ltd., a research company engaged in the development of hair growth agents and treatments for intractable skin diseases. This affiliation is disclosed for transparency.