Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified elemental patterns in single strands of human hair that distinguish people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from those without the disease. The findings, published in eBioMedicine , provide the underpinnings for hair to potentially be used in non-invasive ALS testing and for the development of a faster diagnostic method, which currently relies on cerebrospinal fluid.

“Our study demonstrates that hair can serve as a window into the body’s elemental balance,” said senior author Manish Arora, PhD, vice chair in the department of environmental medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “By analyzing the biodynamics of elements such as copper over time, we can detect disruptions associated w

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