TLDR The hair of two ancient Chilean mummies is well-preserved and contains high levels of heavy metals.
The study analyzed hair from two pre-Hispanic mummies from the Andean coast, dating them to the Formative period (1700 BC–500 AD) using radiocarbon dating. The hair showed good structural conservation and contained significant amounts of heavy metals, including iron, lead, bromide, and arsenic. The presence of arsenic in one sample suggested chronic arsenic intoxication in some individuals. The research aimed to understand the historical context and environmental conditions of the mummies, with future work planned to investigate hair protein conservation at a molecular level using proteomics.
38 citations
,
October 2011 in “Analytical biochemistry” Hair proteins have weak spots in their α-helical segments.
122 citations
,
January 2006 in “Molecular & Cellular Proteomics” Human hair contains many proteins, with some being highly abundant and modified.
9 citations
,
June 1947 in “Analytical Chemistry” Cold waving solutions quickly reduce cystine to cysteine in hair.
37 citations
,
January 1997 in “Clinics in Dermatology” Hair problems are common and distressing for women, but increasing knowledge of treatments offers hope.
No single biomarker is reliable enough for diagnosing and assessing SLE.
9 citations
,
January 2021 in “BioMed research international” Human hair-derived particles can effectively carry and release the cancer drug Paclitaxel in a pH-sensitive manner, potentially targeting cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.
48 citations
,
January 2024 in “Frontiers in Pharmacology” Improving topical drug delivery involves overcoming skin barriers and using personalized dosing to enhance effectiveness.
