A Nature Communications-published research has discovered a new set of genes associated with human hair growth. This is the first time that researchers have found a gene related with hair turning grey. Genes linked with monobrows, eyebrow and beard bushiness, hair color and shape and balding have also been found.
Study researcher Kaustubh Adhikari of University College London along with his colleagues have studied the genetic data of more than 6,300 men and women from across Latin America that covers a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.
In the journal Nature Communications it was pointed out that the gene IRF4 is involved in controlling melanin, the pigment responsible for hair, skin and eye color. This gene is believed to play a major part in hair color, but this is the first time it has been linked to going grey.The IRF4 gene accounted for about 30 per cent of hair greying, with the remaining 70 per cent due to other factors such as age, stress and other environmental exposures.
“We already know several genes involved in balding and hair color but this is the first time a gene for greying has been identified in humans, as well as other genes influencing hair shape and density,” said Dr Kaustubh Adhikari, from the University College London (UCL).
“It was only possible because we analyzed a diverse melting pot of people, which hasn’t been done before on this scale. These findings have potential forensic and cosmetic applications as we increase our knowledge on how genes influence the way we look,” said Adhikari.
Hair greying is caused by an absence of melanin in hair so scientists want to find out IRF4’s role in this process. Understanding how IRF4 influences hair greying could help the development of new cosmetic applications that change the appearance of hair as it grows in the follicle by slowing or blocking the greying of hair.
“We have found the first genetic association to hair greying, which could provide a good model to understand aspects of the biology of human ageing,” said Professor Andres Ruiz-Linares, from UCL Biosciences, who led the study.
“Understanding the mechanism of the IRF4 greying association could also be relevant for developing ways to delay hair greying,” said Ruiz-Linares. Another gene, PRSS53, which was found to influence hair curliness, was investigated by researcher.
“An enduring fascination of human evolution has been our peculiarly luxuriant scalp hair, and finding a new variation in the Protease Serine S1 family member 53 (PRSS53) gene provides an important insight into the genetic controls underpinning scalp hair shape and texture,” said Professor Desmond Tobin, from the University of Bradford in the UK.
The scientists found additional genes associated with hair including EDAR for beard thickness and hair shape; FOXL2 for eyebrow thickness and PAX3 for monobrow prevalence.
“Preventing grey hair is a possibility and even reversing grey hair might not be impossible. Once we know more about the pigmentation process, and all the genes involved it should be easy to find a protein or enzyme to up-regulate or down-regulate the activity.”
Professor Andres Ruiz-Linares, UCL Biosciences, who led the study, said: “We have found the first genetic association to hair greying, which could provide a good model to understand aspects of the biology of human aging.
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