LAUSR

Human neurons require trace amounts of a dozen or so metals to function. An excess or deficit of these essential metals can disrupt cellular activity, and such imbalances are associated with a long list of brain disorders, including neurodegeneration. That is why Vincent Balter, a geochemist at the Université de Lyon and CNRS, and Pascal Leblanc, a neurobiologist at the Institut NeuroMyoGéne, joined their laboratories with clinicians at Hospices Civils de Lyon to identify specific metal irregularities in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Their project linked a specific copper isotope composition in the cerebrospinal fluid to ALS, helping to unravel some of the molecular mechanisms at work in the disease and bringing forth a new candidate biomarker.