Nonprofit · Wilson's disease

Know where the copper is.

United for Wilson's Disease helps people living with Wilson's disease manage copper every day. We build practical tools, including a camera-based food scanner and at-home water test strips, and share clear information for patients and families.

Explore our tools What is Wilson's disease?
Copper is essential in trace amounts. In Wilson's disease, the body can't clear the excess, so it builds up in the liver, brain, and eyes.

About the condition

What is Wilson's disease?

Wilson's disease is a rare inherited disorder in which the body cannot get rid of extra copper. It is caused by changes in the ATP7B gene, which normally helps the liver release copper into bile. Without treatment, copper builds up in the liver, brain, eyes, and other organs and can cause serious damage.

Symptoms usually first appear between ages 5 and 35. They can involve the liver (fatigue, jaundice, abdominal swelling), the nervous system (tremor, stiffness, trouble speaking or swallowing), and mood or behavior. Some people develop Kayser-Fleischer rings, golden-brown rings at the edge of the cornea. Doctors diagnose the condition with blood and urine copper tests, an eye exam, genetic testing, and sometimes a liver biopsy.

Wilson's disease is treatable. Medicines either remove copper from the body (chelating agents such as penicillamine and trientine) or block its absorption (zinc), and a low-copper diet helps keep levels down. With early diagnosis and lifelong treatment, people with Wilson's disease can lead healthy, active lives.

1 in 30,000

People affected worldwide, by common estimates

1 in 90

People who carry one copy of an ATP7B gene change

Ages 5–35

When symptoms most often first appear

Our app In progress

Scan your plate. See the copper.

Our food scanner uses your phone's camera and AI image recognition to identify what's on your plate and estimate how much copper it contains. Meal decisions take seconds instead of a search through nutrition tables.

  1. 1

    Snap

    Take a photo of a meal, a snack, or a packaged food.

  2. 2

    Identify

    The AI recognizes each food and estimates its copper in milligrams per serving.

  3. 3

    Track

    Log what you eat to keep a running total for the day.

Get launch updates

Copper values are estimates. Use them alongside the diet plan from your care team.

Illustrative screen
Copper in mg/L (ppm), illustrative chart. Outlined: 1.3 mg/L, the U.S. EPA action level for public drinking water.

Our test strips In progress

Check your water at home.

Copper plumbing and private wells can add copper to drinking water, and water is easy to overlook on a low-copper diet. Our copper test strips give you a quick reading at the tap, so you and your care team can decide whether filtered or bottled water makes sense.

  1. 1

    Collect

    Fill a clean cup with cold water from the tap you drink from. Water that has sat in the pipes overnight usually shows the highest copper.

  2. 2

    Dip

    Dip a strip into the sample and follow the timing on the package.

  3. 3

    Read

    Match the pad to the color chart to read copper in mg/L.

Ask about test strips

People with Wilson's disease may need a lower limit than the EPA level. Ask your care team what level is right for you.

Who we are

Founded to make every day with Wilson's easier.

United for Wilson's Disease was founded by Michelle Ho and Isaac Ho. We build practical tools, share clear information, and bring patients and families together so no one has to manage this condition alone.

Michelle Ho

Co-Founder

Isaac Ho

Co-Founder

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