An Imaging-Based Biomarker For Childhood Stressors
Tech ID: 22310 / UC Case 2011-102-0
Summary
Researchers at UCLA have conceived a novel approach to identify childhood stressors that serve as risk factors for a broad range of ailments. The technology offers significant power to the practice of preventative medicine.
Background
Teeth forever capture a "fossilized" 3-D record of stressors experienced by an individual during tooth matrix formation and subsequent biomineralization. Somewhat analogous to reading tree rings, tooth enamel is an immutable index of exposure to childhood stressors. Environmental stressors during childhood are known to predispose individuals to a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Early identification of such stressors in individuals would offer opportunities for effective interventions to avert onset of disease pathology. Thus, an accurate method to assess tooth enamel composition represents an advanced, prognostic biomarker for disease risk.
Innovation
UCLA researchers have developed periodic imaging protocols to characterize surface and subsurface enamel properties. Using mathematical analysis, these protocols capture tooth growth abnormalities and can accurately pattern enamel deposition over a defined period. Individual signatures of enamel properties can be correlated to environmental stressors and provide relevant medical history. The imaging techniques employed include light, confocal, and photon-based microscopy as well as tomographic modalities.
Applications
- Utility as a Disease Biomarker
- Identifying individuals who have suffered a wide range of stressors.
- Relating stress history to specific developmental windows and risks in humans.
- Identification of periods of emotional, nutritive, disease, physical, or other environmental stress.
- Utility in Security and Forensics
- Identifying particular individuals with tooth enamel biometrics.
- Forensic dating of stressful insults through a tooth enamel patterns.
- Utility in Animal and Wildlife or Livestock management
- Identifying particular animals for breeding or species management.
- Utility in Population Research / Archaeology
- Anthropological research on contemporary and ancient populations.
- Anthropological research on fossils.
- Research on living and past animal species.
- Research on the effect of wars, environmental, or other disasters.
Advantages
- Objective records of childhood stressors would potentially be unbiased assessments of health, unlike current self-reporting methods.
- Unlike other biomarkers, tooth enamel is inert and cannot be healed, modified, or collect more stress.
- Teeth capture overlapping enamel records from 4 months in utero to 11 years after birth. Thus, information on environmental stressors during this period could be extracted and used in clinical management of patients.
- The invention provides wide applications to forensics, archaeology, anthropology, and animal management.
State Of Development
Development of the enamel-deposition capture protocols and accompanying mathematical analysis have been developed and optimized.
Patent Status
Patent Pending
Inventors
- White, Shane N.
Contact
UCLA Office of Intellectual Property & Industry Sponsored Research / ncd@research.ucla.edu / tel: View Phone Number. Please reference Tech ID #22310.
Other Information
Categorized As
Related cases
2011-102-0
Keywords
Imaging, Biomarkers, Dental, Forensic, Research Tools
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