A groundbreaking method for analyzing tooth enamel could revolutionize how scientists study human health, both ancient and modern. Published this week in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the study reveals a way to detect two key immune proteins—immunoglobulin G (IgG) and C-reactive protein (CRP)—embedded in tooth enamel. These proteins, integral to the body’s immune response and inflammation, could offer valuable insights into the health and experiences of past populations.
“By examining these proteins in enamel, we can gain a deeper understanding of historical health patterns, and potentially even emotional well-being, in ancient human populations,” said lead author Tammy Buonasera, an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “This approach opens a new frontier in studying disease and health from the past with greater precision than ever before.”
The research began during Buonasera’s tenure as a research associate at the University of California, Davis, in collaboration with Indigenous communities and other scientists. The team tested tooth enamel samples from three distinct groups: the Ancestral Ohlone people, European settlers from the late 1800s, and modern-day military cadets.
The Ohlone people, whose remains were unearthed in 2016 during a construction project in the San Francisco Bay Area, lived during the late 1700s and early 1800s, a period marked by high mortality rates, intense stress, and exposure to new infectious diseases. Tribal descendants gave their consent for the inclusion of their ancestors’ teeth in the study. The European settlers, buried in a San Francisco city cemetery, experienced shorter lifespans but were presumed to have encountered fewer stressors and diseases than the Ohlone group. Meanwhile, the military cadets, considered a modern control group, were expected to have had better overall health and nutrition.
Through analysis of protein levels in the enamel, the research team discovered a striking correlation between high levels of stress and disease and elevated protein levels in the Ohlone population. This was especially evident in children, who exhibited very high concentrations of immunoglobulin G, an antibody produced to combat infections, and C-reactive protein, a marker of bodily inflammation.
“It’s heartbreaking to think about children who, during such turbulent times, may have lost their families to disease and were subjected to a radically different cultural environment,” said Jelmer Eerkens, a professor of anthropology at UC Davis. “This method provides a new lens through which we can examine the health toll on individuals in those early periods.”
What makes this method so valuable, Buonasera explained, is that teeth form over the course of a person’s life, from in utero to early adulthood, creating a “timeline” of their health history. “Teeth can provide us with a record of health status from birth through to early adulthood, much like the growth rings in trees,” she said.
Furthermore, immune proteins preserved in enamel offer a more detailed picture of a person’s health than traditional bone or skeletal analysis. While many diseases do not leave visible traces on bones, the proteins found in tooth enamel can signal an individual’s responses to illness or stress, thus offering a more precise understanding of their overall health.
The enamel proteins also offer a significant advantage in terms of preservation. Unlike other tissues, tooth enamel degrades at a much slower rate, making it possible to study the health of ancient humans across millennia. This opens up new opportunities to trace human wellness over the ages.
The implications extend beyond ancient populations, however. Buonasera emphasized the potential of this method to provide valuable comparisons between historical and modern human lifestyles. “By studying stress and immune responses in past populations, we can better understand how these factors have shaped human health over time, offering important insights for today’s world,” she explained.
The research represents a significant step forward not only because it’s the first to examine immune proteins in enamel but also due to the accuracy of the method. “The techniques developed by Buonasera and her team have far-reaching applications,” said Glendon Parker, an adjunct associate professor at UC Davis and co-author of the study. “These tools will undoubtedly enhance our understanding of ancient human life and open up exciting new possibilities in bio-anthropology.”
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