Innovation in metabolomics to improve personalized healthcare.

Ann N Y Acad Sci
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Metabolomics is the systemic study of all small molecules (metabolites) and their concentration as affected by pathological and physiological alterations or environmental or other factors. Metabolic alterations represent a "window" on the complex interactions between genetic expression, enzyme activity, and metabolic reactions. Techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, Fourier-transform infrared, and Raman spectroscopy, have led to significant advances in metabolomics. The field is shifting from feasibility studies to biological and clinical applications. Fields of application range from cancer biology to stem cell research and assessment of xenobiotics and drugs in tissues and single cells. Cross-validation across high-throughput platforms has allowed findings from expression profiling to be confirmed with metabolomics. Specific genetic alterations appear to drive unique metabolic programs. These, in turn, can be used as biomarkers of genetic subtypes of prostate cancer or as discovery tools for therapeutic targeting of metabolic enzymes. Thus, metabolites in blood may serve as biomarkers of tumor state, including inferring driving oncogenes. Novel applications such as these suggest that metabolic profiling may be utilized in refining personalized medicine.

Year of Publication
2015
Journal
Ann N Y Acad Sci
Volume
1346
Issue
1
Pages
57-62
Date Published
2015 Jun
ISSN
1749-6632
URL
DOI
10.1111/nyas.12775
PubMed ID
26014591
PubMed Central ID
PMC4839187
Links
Grant list
P50 CA090381 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
R01 CA131945 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
2R01CA131945 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
P50 CA90381 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States