title: [Advancements in melanocytes in hair follicle].
abstract: Melanoblasts, the precursors to melanocytes, originate in the neural crest. Some melanoblasts can travel to the hair follicle and further differentiate into pigment melanin-producing melanocytes. Hair follicles contain a pool of undifferentiated melanocyte stem cells (MSCs), which are sources of differentiated melanocytes, and functional melanocytes exhist in the hair bulb. The volume, life, and activity of melanocytes in a hair follicle is closely related with the growth cycle of follicle. Appearance of gray hair gray results from incomplete MSCs maintenance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui 233004, China.
authors.forename: Ru-Zhi
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen-Yuan
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology