Going grey could be the body guarding against cancer, Tokyo team says

Berlin (dpa) – Usually it comes in the dirty thirties – in some cases a bit earlier, sometimes the following decade – but the sight of those first flecks of grey more often than not brings with it the despondent realization that ageing is kicking in. But according to scientists at the University of Tokyo, grey hair should probably be regarded as a welcome sight as it "may reflect a natural defense against cancer risk." The cells, which are in hair follicles, seem to change color and "exit the system" rather than to continue dividing, which brings with it the risk of tumours forming. "Somatic tissues undergo functional decline with age, exhibiting characteristic ageing phenotypes, including hair greying and cancer," the researchers say in a paper published by Nature Cell Biology. Hair-greyi