A simple hair could become, in the future, a useful tool for faster diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SLA), a serious neurodegenerative disease. American researchers at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine have found that the analysis of the composition of elements in the hairs can highlight unique models that differentiate patients with SLA by healthy people, according to a study published in the September issue of the magazine eBioMedicinepart of The Lancet Discovery Science.
Amiotrophic lateral sclerosis is a disease of the nervous, progressive and fatal system, and at present, its diagnosis lasts on average between 10 and 16 months after the appearance of the first symptoms. According to the SLA association, the average survival duration is about three years, but 20% of patients live five years, 10% reach ten years, and 5% exceed two decades.
Early detection is essential, because it allows early initiation of support treatments, which can improve the quality of life of patients and even prolong survival.
The standard methods used for diagnosis, based on biological or imaging liquid analyzes, are invasive, expensive and difficult to implement in current medical practice.
Now, scientists say that the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis could be accelerated by a simple hair test.
The team of researchers from Mount Sinai analyzed hairs from 391 people, of whom 295 diagnosed with SLA and 96 healthy, using inductive plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and laser ablation, an advanced technique that determines the composition of the chemical elements in solid samples.
A simple hair could become, in the future, a useful tool for faster diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SLA), a serious neurodegenerative disease. American researchers at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine have found that the analysis of the composition of the chemical elements in the hairs can highlight unique patterns that differentiate patients with SLA by healthy people, according to a study published in the September issue of the magazine eBioMedicinepart of The Lancet Discovery Science.
Amiotrophic lateral sclerosis is a disease of the nervous, progressive and fatal system, and at present, its diagnosis lasts on average between 10 and 16 months after the appearance of the first symptoms. According to the SLA association, the average survival duration is about three years, but 20% of patients live five years, 10% reach ten years, and 5% exceed two decades.
Early detection is essential, because it allows early initiation of support treatments, which can improve the quality of life of patients and even prolong survival.
The standard methods currently used for diagnosis, based on biological or imaging liquid analyzes are invasive, expensive and difficult to implement in current medical practice. However, scientists say now that SLA diagnosis could be accelerated by a simple hair test.
A team of researchers from Mount Sinai analyzed hairs from 391 people, of whom 295 diagnosed with SLA and 96 healthy, using inductive plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and laser ablation, an advanced technique that determines the composition of chemical elements from solid samples.
Each hair has provided up to 800 data points, reflecting the variations of chemical elements at 2-4 hours. 17 elements were measured, including copper, zinc, magnesium and lead, and the researchers analyzed how they fluctuate over time.
The results highlighted a central role of copper in SLA.
Patients with this disease have presented irregular variations and imbalances of copper levels in the body, compared to healthy people, indicating a generalized disorder of copper metabolism in patients with SLA, say the study authors.
In addition, weaker interactions between copper and zinc have been observed in men, and in women, changes in chrome-niche dynamics.
“Our study shows that the hair can provide an image of the balance of the chemical elements in the body. By analyzing their dynamics, for example copper, we can identify the disorders associated with SLA in a simple and non-invasive way. Our approach could transform how we diagnose this disease, making the process faster and more accessible to patients,” explained MANISH,
He also stated that it is the first research that uses hairs to identify disorders of the chemical elements in the body.
Although the study has not yet led to a ready -to -use diagnostic test, the results indicate that a simple hair analysis could reduce the time required for the diagnosis. In this way, patients could benefit more quickly with support treatments, nutritional plans, assistance, therapy and counseling devices, with a positive impact on the quality of life and survival.
The research was carried out in collaboration with Linus Biotechnology, Dartmouth University and Columbia University, being supported by the National Institutes of Health – NiH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC) in the United States.
