A team of our natural sciences unit identified the oldest case of osteopetrosis in a human skeleton! Their research is part of the greatly increased public awareness of rare diseases. A largely unkown element of rare diseases is their history: when did these diseases first emerge and have they undergone any changes with time? Palaeopathological studies of human remains from archaeological contexts can provide objective, non-biased evidence of the origins and development of rare diseases by studying the traces of disease directly on the bones.
Learn more about this exciting research topic and the oldest case of osteopetrosis in the recent published article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(20)30307-7/fulltext
