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Current methods monitor a protein known as ferritin, the body's iron storage mechanism.

Diagnosis typically involves a blood test that screens for iron markers such as ferritin, a protein that stores iron.

And unlike iron, which is easily assessed by measuring levels of iron-containing blood proteins like hemoglobin and ferritin, there is no biomarker that can be used as an indicator of zinc levels.

The process starts when compounds in the tobacco products make contact with the corneal cells, which leads ferritin inside the cells to start breaking down and releasing stored iron, Otsu explains.

In January 2020, he started rapidly repurposing that work, crafting an experimental vaccine made up of a ferritin nanoparticle studded with coronavirus spike proteins.