A “new” study of chemical processes in living things is being evaluated; it’s called metabolomics.  Basically, one studies the end products of cellular processes.  It was first proposed after World War II, when paper chromatography was in vogue- and which did not afford enough data for the study to truly advance.  Then, gas chromatography/mass spectrometers were developed (1970’s), which let us really begin to study the metabolites, along with the development of NMR spectroscopy.

And, while metabolomics still is considered to be an emerging field, that is not stopping researchers from using it to develop products and answers to questions.  Some researchers are examining Alzheimer’s and others are examining various cancers.  The goal is to determine why some folks develop these diseases and others don’t.

Given those lofty ideals, let’s examine one series of studies.  Procter and Gamble is using this nascent discipline for a completely different purpose- to evaluate the severity of the dandruff affliction and to develop more effective treatments.   They are examining changes in scalp chemicals.  (This is so much more effective that the current practice of combing subject’s scalps and “rating” the severity of dandruff by examining the collection of debris.)  Dandruff is a complex inflammatory response to scalp fungus (Malassezia yeast); some folks have their enzymatic pathways disrupted, which leads to clusters of dead cells being shed (the dandruff flakes).

Before you succumb to tv-itis, it is critical to recognize that there are hundreds or thousands of these chemicals to be identified.  And, no machine just spits out a list of all the chemicals found- instead, it is a graph that depicts a series of hills and valleys.  The hills (peaks) denote the presence of a metabolite.   The speed at which it appears on the graph denotes its molecular weight; additional tests are then completed to further identify the compounds.

P&G has been trying to identify biological markers that would differentiate between normal scalps and those with dandruff. In one study, they examined subject ranging in age from 18 to 75, searching for markers and the ability of shampoos to remove those markers from the subjects.   In yet another study, histamine was determined to be the most likely marker associated with itching.  With a specific dandruff shampoo, both itching and the histamine levels were indistinguishable from those subjects who did not have dandruff.

Given these successes, one can only hope that the researchers examining Alzheimers and cancer therapies will have some good results to report to us  soon.

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