Scientists are analyzing hair to develop a new ALS diagnostic test
Hair growth is gradual so researchers can study how elements change over time
Analyzing single strands of hair has shown researchers that the dynamics of certain metal molecules, such as copper and zinc, in the body are altered in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The scientists hope to build on this discovery to develop a new, noninvasive diagnostic test for the neurodegenerative condition.
“Our study demonstrates that hair can serve as a window into the body’s elemental balance,” Manish Arora, PhD, co-author of the study at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said in a press release. “By analyzing the biodynamics of elements such as copper over time, we can detect disruptions associated with ALS in a simple, noninvasive way. This approach has the potential to transform how we diagnose ALS, making it faster, easier, and more accessible for patients.” The study, “Dysregulation of hair-strand-based elemental biodynamics in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” was published in eBioMedicine.
ALS is a neurological disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness due to the loss of certain nerve cells. The disease is diagnosed mainly by having clinicians examine a patient’s symptoms and run tests to rule out other diseases. Efforts are underway, however, to develop more objective tests to improve the speed and accuracy of ALS diagnoses. This could let patients receive early treatment and may improve outcomes.
Diagnosing ALS in strands of hair
Here, scientists analyzed single strands of hair from 295 people with ALS and 96 people without the disease. The hair was examined using a technique called laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In it, a laser vaporizes a hair strand and then detailed chemical tests are employed to look at levels of specific elements in the vapor.
The laser starts at one end of the hair strand, then slowly moves to the other end, vaporizing it as it goes. Since hair growth is gradual, the researchers could see how levels of various elements changed over time. These dynamics were then compared between the people with ALS and those without the disease.
People with ALS generally have widespread dysregulation of copper dynamics, a finding that’s consistent with other research that implicates copper abnormalities in ALS.
There were also some sex-specific findings. For example, while the findings suggested there was systemic dysregulation in copper metabolism in both men and women with ALS, copper-zinc dynamics tended to be out of sync in men, while disruptions in chromium-nickel dynamics were seen in women.
“Our current association-based results provide initial proof of concept that there exist stark differences between hair-based elemental biodynamics among ALS cases and controls,” wrote the researchers, who noted their findings are preliminary and based on a small number of patients. They cautioned that while this type of molecular analysis isn’t suitable for regular use as a clinical test, they hope to build on this effort to make a hair-based diagnostic test.
“This is the first-ever study to use hair strands to identify elemental dysregulation in ALS,” said Vishal Midya, PhD, senior author of the study at the Icahn School of Medicine. “We found that patients with ALS had measurable differences in copper biodynamics that were not present in controls. These findings provide proof of concept that hair could serve as a simple and scalable diagnostic tool.”
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