The UA's Bioanalytical and Circular Chemistry group is conducting research using ICP-MS mass spectrometry, a technology capable of measuring dozens of chemical elements simultaneously, even at very low concentrations. The collaboration extends to hospitals in Alcoy, Elche, and Alicante, as well as researchers from the Miguel Hernández University and the Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory in Sweden.
The objective is to identify alterations associated with kidney, pancreatic, neurological, reproductive, and cardiovascular diseases, aiming to develop non-invasive protocols and tools for early diagnosis. According to José Luis Todolí, the group's director, trace amounts of chemical elements can be key to understanding and detecting conditions in their initial stages.
The work, carried out with the Virgen de los Lirios University Hospital of Alcoy, the General University Hospital of Elche, and the Doctor Balmis General University Hospital of Alicante, analyzes trace elements in biological samples. These minerals, essential for metabolism and immunity, can serve as early indicators of various diseases.
The results suggest that the concentrations and relationships between these elements provide valuable information about a person's health status, potentially revealing alterations before the onset of clinical symptoms. ICP-MS technology analyzes samples of blood, urine, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, seminal plasma, peritoneal fluid, and hair, driving the field of clinical metallomics.
Clinical metallomics studies elemental profiles to better understand biological processes linked to health and disease. In studies on chronic kidney disease, imbalances in elements like zinc, selenium, chromium, and arsenic have been detected. Changes associated with Alzheimer's and other central nervous system diseases, as well as male and female fertility, are also being investigated through the analysis of seminal plasma and peritoneal fluid.
Multielemental hair analysis may provide information on coronary health. The goal is to transfer the potential of ICP-MS technology to the biomedical field, using real clinical samples to identify biomarkers that improve diagnosis and treatments. Integrating information from different biological samples offers a more comprehensive view of a patient's physiological state.
Clinical metallomics examines multielemental patterns, which reflect complex biological processes and offer new indicators of disease progression. The incorporation of state-of-the-art ICP-MS equipment has increased the sensitivity and reliability of results. Todolí concludes that future medicine will be increasingly personalized and based on biomarkers, with elemental profiles representing a still underexplored but highly potential source.
