M.C. Dean is a founding supporter of Strands for Cancer, a Johns Hopkins Medicine research initiative exploring whether cancer-related changes in the body may be detectable through hair samples.
Led by Dr. Kenneth Pienta of Johns Hopkins University, in partnership with Dr. Emma Hammarlund, Dr. Kazi Uddin and Dr. Per Malmberg, the research team is studying whether cancer’s metabolic activity leaves measurable signatures in hair. Early findings suggest this approach could one day support a noninvasive method for cancer screening. The research is currently in an early validation phase and is not an approved diagnostic test.
The Strands for Cancer initiative is collecting small hair samples from adults with and without a history of cancer to help researchers better understand and evaluate this method.
Participation is encouraged, but voluntary, and takes less than five minutes to complete online. If eligible, participants submit a small hair sample by mail. There is no cost, no compensation and no personal medical or diagnostic results are provided.
Participation is managed directly by the research team. M.C. Dean does not collect, track or receive any information about who chooses to participate.
M.C. Dean is proud to support this potentially groundbreaking research as part of our commitment to innovation, research and community well-being.
For more information visit the Strands for Cancer website.