Edinburgh: We emit a barrage of chemicals from our pores and breath, some of which could signal illnesses long before other symptoms appear. Scientists are now exploring how these whiffy biomarkers could lead to earlier diagnoses of various conditions, potentially transforming healthcare.
According to BBC, the story of Joy Milne, a retired nurse from Scotland, highlights this potential. She discovered she could smell Parkinson’s disease, a claim initially met with skepticism by analytical chemist Perdita Barran. Milne’s ability, due to her hereditary hyperosmia, was later confirmed when she accurately identified the disease in her husband before he was clinically diagnosed. This revelation led to global attention in 2015 and sparked interest in the scientific community.
Research is now focused on developing techniques to detect biomarkers for conditions like Parkinson’s, cancer, and brain injuries. Andreas Mershin, a physicist and co-founder of RealNose.ai, is working on a robotic nose that could identify diseases through scent, a necessity since most people lack the acute sense of smell needed for such detection. Dogs, with their powerful olfactory capabilities, have already demonstrated the ability to detect cancers and other diseases with high accuracy.
Barran is utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze sebum from Parkinson’s patients, identifying specific compounds that differ from those in healthy individuals. Her research has pinpointed around 30 compounds consistently different in those with Parkinson’s, offering hope for a non-invasive skin swab test to catch the disease in its early stages.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), byproducts of metabolism, play a key role in altering body odour in response to diseases. Bruce Kimball, a chemical ecologist, explains that changes in metabolism due to illness affect VOC distribution, thereby altering body odour. This principle is being applied in research on brain injuries, malaria, and other conditions.
Mershin’s work at RealNose.ai aims to create an odour-detecting device to identify prostate cancer by using human olfactory receptors and machine learning to detect patterns in scent. This technology could revolutionize diagnostics, providing a non-invasive means to detect diseases.
Joy Milne continues to contribute to Barran’s research, aiding in the development of diagnostic tests. Her story underscores the importance of being attuned to changes in body odour as potential indicators of health issues.
This research holds promise for empowering individuals to make observations about their health, potentially leading to earlier interventions and better outcomes.
