Gray hair might represent the marks left by our bodies in the battle against cancer, according to a new study.
The recently released Natural Cell Biology explores how the cells that provide pigment in our hair and skin “self-destruct” upon damage, as part of the body’s protective measures against cancer.
Researchers have found that when these pigment-producing cells experience certain types of damage, they cease to function on their own instead of continuing to divide.
This selection process helps to prevent the spread of faulty cells that can cause harmful mutations, but it ultimately leads to a decline in pigment-producing cells over time, resulting in gray hair.
While scientists have been examining methods to prevent the self-destruction of pigment cells to combat gray hair, recent findings indicate that gray hair may indicate a significant anti-cancer defensive mechanism.
Damaged DNA can lead to mutations and cause cancer – Credit: Getty
“[This study] indicates that gray hair and melanoma are not unrelated occurrences but are framed as varied outcomes of stem cell stress responses,” stated Professor Emi Nishimura of the University of Tokyo, who spearheaded the research.
The Tokyo team made this revelation while examining mouse melanocyte stem cells, which are responsible for producing hair pigment. They found that these melanocyte cells only sacrificed themselves when their DNA faced a “double-strand break,” or a precise cut on both sides of the DNA helix.
However, when the cells encountered different stressors, like ultraviolet light or carcinogens, they did not undergo self-destruction. Instead, they survived and continued to divide, allowing mutations to accumulate and potentially paving the way for cancer.
These two distinct responses—cells opting for self-sacrifice in some situations but persisting in others—may help clarify why gray hair and skin cancer become increasingly prevalent as we age.
Researchers suggest that gaining a deeper understanding and ultimately controlling this response could lead to innovative methods for eliminating high-risk cells before they turn cancerous.
microsoft announced Sunset Skype on the last day of February. By the time Death Knell paid, the video chat software that once revolutionized communications has become a ghost of its former self. Experts yelled half-baked tributes for the platform Microsoft has spent years neglecting, but few were surprised.
“The fact that Skype has been integrated into other Microsoft platforms, and that it has been redesigned to resemble other Microsoft Solutions, or included in user bundled commercial products, also clearly shows that Microsoft has long decided to discontinue the service despite user losses.”University of London.
But for long-awaited users of Skype, and those who have stopped it, yet still thought it was nostalgia, the coming end of Skype, which will be closed on May 5th, is a moment worthy of approval. Skype was a reminder of a bygone era and a source of inspiration for many. When there were few affordable means of making international appeals, it promoted relations across the ocean.
One nostalgic Guardian leader composed the song based on the familiar Skype ring. Michael Frischkop, professor at the University of Albert School of Music and director of the Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology, created a Skype theme song and a short symphony in 2020. “It was originally for film scores (although it was never used that way),” Frishkopf wrote in an email.
“Skype has always been a tool to connect from isolation and it surprised me that many people probably associate it with being far from their loved ones,” Frishkopf said. “That Skype ringtone, I don't know who made it, but it has a kind of oddity. It can go either way, major or minor, either way. Likewise, it may sound happy or sad. It can represent sadness that longs for someone and the joy that connects with them. [Skype] It can cause a sense of loss for people because it is permanently declining.”
Skyping (orchestra)
Michael Frishkopf
Sorry, the browser does not support audio, but download it here to $https://uploads.guim.co.uk/2025/03/05/skyping_(orchestral)_-_ composed_by_michael_frishkopf.mp3
Inspired by Frishkopf's email, the Guardian asked readers to share their Skype memories. What they explained in touch with the tribute was technology that allowed parents to connect with their children, and startup founders to communicate across the ocean and the time zone, allowing two proposals.
Melanie Hegger. Photo: Melany Heger
A mother at home who has found a new career
I used Skype extensively as a way to contact clients when I had an intermediate career shift. It was 2019 and I started working again. I spent 10 years as a full-time mom. Before I started working online, I felt it was impossible to work and stay home for my kids. I can say that Skype has opened up a world of possibilities for me.
– Melanie Heger of Manila, Philippines
A couple that I proposed to date on Skype
Holly and her husband's wedding band Photo: Holly
I proposed to my Swedish husband and to my Swedish husband using sticky notes. We got married on 5-5-15. Skype will terminate the service on the same day. It's so sad, I especially liked it because it was from my husband's hometown Sweden. Skype played a major role in our lives to maintain our connections while we were dating.
The PlayStation Network (PSN) is currently experiencing technical difficulties, causing online gamers worldwide to be unable to access weekend events.
PSN is a service utilized by Sony PlayStation console users to connect to online gaming networks, enabling them to play with other gamers globally.
The outage started in the UK late on Friday night, affecting approximately 71,000 gamers who have reported the problem on the PlayStation website, with many losing access to the online game lobby, PlayStation store, and their online accounts.
PSN offers subscriptions at different price points, ranging from £13.49 per month to £119.99 per month for a premium subscription. Users have been expressing their frustration over these costs when addressing Sony.
During weekends, specific games hold special tournaments and events, such as Electronic Arts’ FC 25 with its “weekend leagues” on the ultimate team platform. Additionally, Call of Duty fans will miss out on promotional weekends and Double XP events in Black Ops 6 and Warzone due to the ongoing PSN disruption.
Many disgruntled PlayStation users have taken to social media to voice their displeasure with the outage through memes, jokes, and complaints.
One user wrote, “Let’s be honest. Everyone should get free PS Plus this month. Paying a monthly fee only for the network to go down over the weekend is unacceptable.” Another user expressed frustration about missing out on gaming time due to the server issues.
Sony is actively working to resolve the problem and has advised users to check their digital services for updates. The Guardian has reached out to PlayStation, Electronic Arts, and Activision Blizzard for comments on the situation.
A cyber outage at a major retail software provider for auto dealerships entered its third day on Friday, causing delays in car sales across North America, the affected company said, with software provider CDK saying there is no end in sight.
“The CDK outage is affecting auto dealers across the United States and Canada, including some BMW Group dealers,” a BMW North America spokesman told Reuters.
CDK, which provides a range of software to auto dealerships, said it experienced another cyber incident on Wednesday that caused it to proactively shut down most of its systems, but that it is working to restore services and get dealers’ business back to normal soon. CDK sent a letter The company responded to customers by saying that it was unclear how long it would take to resolve the issue.
The company did not disclose in its statement how many dealerships would be affected. But according to its website, CDK works with more than 15,000 retailers in North America. Representatives from major automakers including Ford, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz said: Confirmed by Bloomberg They were working with dealers affected by the outage.
“Dealers are extremely committed to protecting customer information and are proactively receiving information from CDK to help determine the nature and scope of the cyber incident and respond appropriately,” the National Automobile Dealers Association said. Independently owned car dealer Holman also said the outage affected its phone system.
Investment firm Brookfield Business Partners acquired CDK in April 2022 for $6.41 billion in cash, taking private the last major publicly traded company that provides software to auto dealerships and manufacturers.
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