Hair Structure Analysis Based Diagnosis of Health Issues in Humans and Animals

Taking clue from literature that there is a correlation between inner structural organization of keratin and lipid in hair, and presence/absence of breast cancer, we explored if small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) can distinguish between hair from confirmed cancer patients and relatives lacking any cancerous malady.

Results brought forth that significantly altered SAXS profile is seen in cases of cancer, tuberculosis, PCOD and NAFL compared to normal ones. We developed programs for automated data collection, analysis and interpretation. Our methodology has been confirmed with about 280 clinically validated cases in India. 

Recently, we are working on reducing the cost of the analysis instrument, so that our diagnosis can be provided at a lower cost. Research was supported by Grand Challenge Program and CSIR, and now we are open to collaborations for third party validation leading towards regulatory clearances.