ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Dr. Manish Arora, CEO at LinusBio, has developed an innovative approach to precision medicine through the Traced test, which measures exposure to trace elements and environmental toxins using hair biomarkers. The technology analyzes a small hair sample and can measure chemicals that enter the bloodstream and deposit in the hair as it grows. This exposome-based test identifies exposure patterns through longitudinal monitoring and provides a precise method to measure environmental impacts, unlike genomic biomarkers, and offers actionable guidance for reducing toxic exposure.
Manish explains, "So we like using hair for many reasons. One is we can collect it very easily at home. All you need is a pair of household scissors, a quick snip, and we only ask you for about three to five strands. We don't need a whole lot. What is amazing about hair is that it can actually give you a daily readout over the past month. And let me share with you how this happens. If you've ever seen a tree that's been cut down and you've seen growth rings in it, we think of them as yearly growth rings."
"And here there's a growth ring forming almost every hour. So in fact, if you were able to take a strand of hair one centimeter, you would get a whole month of readout at an hourly resolution. That's like 800 to a thousand sequential blood tests. And that's what we have figured out. So unlike many other tests that just give you one number, we give you your monthly profile. Again, all from just one centimeter of hair."
"The Traced test, as its first offering, is looking at essential elements like zinc and copper, but also the toxic metals that so many of us have heard of and are concerned about, like lead, cadmium, and arsenic. So what it does is it measures 15 different trace elements, the good and the bad, gives you an overall score, but gives you a daily profile over the last month. And there are such interesting patterns that we find. We find people who have high exposures every five to six days. And very often, when we speak to them, they're doing something very different on the weekend, which is a source of exposure. So we keep finding these patterns and instead of just saying, "Hey, you are high or low," we can work with them, look at these patterns, and then give them exposure guidance. Simple steps: how to improve your environment, how to reduce your toxic exposures."
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