Mapping Metabolic Pathways by Targeted Metabolomics Solutions

Tematyka

Metabolomics is a very powerful technology that is successfully applied in various research fields. The metabolome incorporates the information of all upstream endogenous cellular events, such as regulation on the genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic level, as well as of exogenous effects from nutrition, drugs and microbiome activity. Therefore it provides a highly integrated, very sensitive and – among all ‘omics’ technologies – the most comprehensive readout of the biological phenotype.
Targeted metabolomics aims at the accurate quantification of specific metabolites in a biological system. It holds the potential to deliver new diagnostic markers for the sensitive and specific detection and prognosis of diseases, to monitor the response to therapeutic interventions and additionally provides insights into the underlying mechanisms.
In classical biomarker research, e.g. in the genomics or proteomics field, it is common and also appropriate to consider single, separate markers. In most cases, this is still also the predominant approach in metabolomics research. However, in contrast to genes or proteins, metabolites are interconnected by metabolic network reactions. Data analysis in metabolomics can be enriched by taking into account connections between metabolites in the form of specific metabolic sums and ratios. Moving the level of interpretation and understanding from a classical single biomarker concept to a way of thinking that takes into account the network-structure of metabolism will help to obtain a comprehensive picture and result in more robust and reliable predictions.