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Another probable cause of early graying has been identified
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
Scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham have traced a reaction that could cause premature graying and the development of vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disorder.
Experts believe that the gene that regulates melanin production in the skin interferes with the processes of self-restoration of immunity. The name of this gene is MITF, it “tells” pigment cells when they should produce a protein substance that regulates melanin synthesis.
Scientists have discovered that rodents prone to early graying produce an excess of the protein substance MITF, which could theoretically lead to rapid depletion of pigment cell reserves. The researchers hypothesized that rodents whose bodies produce less MITF would experience slower graying of their fur. However, this turned out to be not the case: such rodents went gray in the same short period of time. To find out why this happened, experts initiated a new study.
MITF provides control over both the production of melanin and the work of genes responsible for the release of interferons – protein substances of the immune system that enhance the quality of the fight against viral diseases. Interferons are a component of innate protection and are in the first rank of the immune system in the fight against pathogenic microorganisms. They block the reproduction of viral cells and activate all links of the immune system, accelerating the production of antigens. Without the necessary amount of the protein substance MITF, rodents produced an excess amount of interferons, which led to the immune system entering into a fight against melanocytes. Scientists concluded that the protein suppresses gene expression, which was stimulated by interferons.
In their additional projects, the specialists also found that when simulating a viral infection in rodents by injecting polycytidylic acid, the effect was the same. This may explain the early graying of people or the development of vitiligo immediately after a viral infection.
However, many people suffer from flu or other viral infections, but the disorder is not found in everyone. Why? In all likelihood, there must be some genetic factor or individual hypersensitivity (a tendency to such disorders).
The researchers and their team hope to continue their work in the future, studying the connecting mechanisms between age-related changes and the work of stem cells. Further experiments will help to understand how the aging process of the human body occurs, and whether it is possible to stop it at some stage, or return the cells and organs to a youthful state.
The research is described in detail in PLOS Biology (http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2003648).
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