Accelerator mass spectrometry for human biochemistry: The practice and the potential

Isotopic labels are a primary tool for tracing chemicals in natural systems. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) quantifies long-lived isotopes that can be used in safe, sensitive and precise biochemical research with human participants. AMS could reduce the use of animals in biochemical research and remove the uncertain extrapolations from animal models to humans. Animal data seldom represent the sort of variability expected in a human population. People, knowingly or not, routinely expose themselves to radiation risks much greater than AMS-based biochemical research that traces μg/kg doses of chemicals containing tens of nCi of 14C for as long as 7 months. AMS is applied to research in toxicology, pharmacology and nutrition