Biological markers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may be present in teeth, study indicates

Written by Sharon Salt, Senior Editor

Researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (NY, USA) have identified biological markers related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that are present in childhood. Their study, which has been published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, identified these markers in the teeth of patients who went on to develop ALS as adults. Using these teeth as a ‘time capsule’ or ‘biologic hard drive’, they wanted to capture signatures of the environment such as the metabolism of essential elements and toxic metals. The investigators used lasers to map growth rings that form daily in teeth. From examining...

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