1. Skin and its appendages such as hair and feathers show diverse colors which are important for beauty and survival.
2. Melanocytes arise from the neural crest in vertebrates, migrate to the epidermis and hair follicles, and produce melanin for pigmentation.
3. Hair follicle is an attractive model to study the mechanisms involved in maintaining integument pigmentation, with McSCs and HFSCs synchronously activated during cycling.
The article Regulation of melanocyte stem cells in the pigmentation of skin and its appendages: Biological patterning and therapeutic potentials by Qiu (2019) is a reliable source of information about the regulation of melanocyte stem cells in skin pigmentation. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the biology behind skin pigmentation, including how melanoblasts differentiate into melanocyte precursors in epidermis and McSCs in hair follicles, how mature melanocytes extend their dendrites to create pigmentary units, how McSCs share a niche with HFSCs during hair cycling, etc. The article also discusses potential therapeutic applications of this knowledge, such as hypopigmentation deficiency-related diseases.
The article is written objectively without any bias or promotional content. It presents both sides equally by discussing both evolutionary benefits of skin pigmentation as well as potential risks associated with it (e.g., UV radiation). The claims made are supported by evidence from scientific studies cited throughout the text. Furthermore, all points of consideration are explored thoroughly without any missing points or counterarguments left unexplored.
In conclusion, this article is a trustworthy source that provides an accurate overview of the biology behind skin pigmentation as well as potential therapeutic applications related to it.