Today is World Metrology Day!

World Metrology Day is carried jointly by the BIPM (International Bureau of Weights and Measures) and the International Organization for Legal Metrology (IOML).

This day commemorates the signing of the Meter Convention by representatives of 17 countries on 20 May 1875, a treaty that laid the foundations for a global measurement system.

The theme chosen for 2021 is "Measuring for Health", with the aim of raising awareness of the important role that measurement plays in this area, and therefore for the well-being of all of us.

National metrology laboratories around the world are constantly evolving the science of measurement by developing and validating new measurement techniques based on the level of sophistication required.

For example, in France, the LNE (National Laboratory of Metrology and Testing), as well as the laboratories of the RNMF (French National Network of Metrology) are working to create trust through reliable measurements, both in the field of care and diagnosis.

A recent study published in The Lancet, in which the NLE participated, found that approximately 15% of heart attack patients had no risk factors. In particular, this study highlights the need for biomarkers to more reliably identify patients at the highest risk of developing cardiovascular disease before they occur.

It is to this question that the CardioMet project, in which the LNE is involved, is currently trying to provide an answer. As the limitations of conventional biomarkers are well established, one of the objectives of this project is to study the benefit of a more detailed analysis of lipoproteins, which are the carriers of cholesterol in the blood. The aim is to improve the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Another example in Alzheimer's disease is that currently, the dosage of biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid, such as the Tau protein, is a good early indicator of the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease. LNE researchers are working to develop methods for dosing this protein to ensure greater comparability of measurements from analytical laboratories, making the analyses more reliable for physicians.

In the field of oncology, the LNE conducts research with the CEA on the measurement of gold nanoparticles. These are used in cancer therapies, as drug vectors or as radiation amplifiers. However, the challenge is to optimize their quantity and concentrate them in the right place. The LNE has thus demonstrated the value of the method of plasma mass spectroscopy with inductive coupling of individual particles (sp-ICP-MS) to quantify the nanoparticles and analyze their distribution in size in the cells.

In these times of pandemic where there are many uncertainties, metrology also provides reliable answers and data on related topics such as the effectiveness of protective masks.

The LNE and the RNMF also recall that they are at the service of the public authorities to assist them in their decision-making that has an impact on the health and safety of all.