Crescent Diagnostics Limited

Crescent Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited

Mark Robert Towler

Declan Lyons

Ernest Poku

Methods of diagnosing bone disease such as osteoporosis are provided. The methods comprise detecting changes in the physical or chemical structure of a keratinized tissue as correlates of disease. The methods include detecting changes in the hardness, modulus, or level of sulfur bonding, particularly the level of disulfide bonding, in a keratinized tissue sample such as nail, hair, or skin. Changes in these variables serve as diagnostic markers of bone diseases that are associated with changes in bone elasticity and bone density.

Diagnostic methods for osteoporosis

The invention generally relates to methods for assessing risk of bone fracture. In certain embodiments, methods of the invention involve a) conducting an assay to determine a characteristic of keratinized tissue obtained from a mammal, b) analyzing at least one bone-fracture risk factor associated with the mammal, and c) correlating results from steps (a) and (b), thereby assessing the risk of bone fracture of a bone of the mammal.

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Annacotty, Ireland

Mark Robert Towler