Current medical research with the application of coupled techniques with mass spectrometry

Progress and opportunities in microbial community metabolomics

The metabolome lies at the interface of host-microbiome crosstalk. Previous work has established links between chemically diverse microbial metabolites and a myriad of host physiological processes and diseases. Coupled with scalable and cost-effective technologies, metabolomics is thus gaining popularity as a tool for characterization of microbial communities, particularly when combined with metagenomics as a window into microbiome function. A systematic interrogation of microbial community metabolomes can uncover key microbial compounds, metabolic capabilities of the microbiome, and also provide critical mechanistic insights into microbiome-linked host phenotypes. In this review, we discuss methods and accompanying resources that have been developed for these purposes. The accomplishments of these methods demonstrate that metabolomes can be used to functionally characterize microbial communities, and that microbial properties can be used to identify and investigate chemical compounds.

Metabolomic Approaches for Detection and Identification of Biomarkers and Altered Pathways in Bladder Cancer

Metabolomic analysis has proven to be a useful tool in biomarker discovery and the molecular classification of cancers. In order to find new biomarkers, and to better understand its pathological behavior, bladder cancer also has been studied using a metabolomics approach. In this article, we review the literature on metabolomic studies of bladder cancer, focusing on the different available samples (urine, blood, tissue samples) used to perform the studies and their relative findings. Moreover, the multi-omic approach in bladder cancer research has found novel insights into its metabolic behavior, providing excellent start-points for new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Metabolomics data analysis can lead to the discovery of a “signature pathway” associated with the progression of bladder cancer; this aspect could be potentially valuable in predictions of clinical outcomes and the introduction of new treatments. However, further studies are needed to give stronger evidence and to make these tools feasible for use in clinical practice.

Metabolomics of neurological disorders in India

Metabolomics is the comprehensive study of the metabolome and its alterations within biological fluids and tissues. Over the years, applications of metabolomics have been explored in several areas, including personalised medicine in diseases, metabolome-wide association studies (MWAS), pharmacometabolomics and in combination with other branches of omics such as proteomics, transcriptomics and genomics. Mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are the major analytical techniques widely employed in metabolomics. In addition, MS is coupled with chromatography techniques like gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) to separate metabolites before analysis. These analytical techniques have made possible identification and quantification of large numbers of metabolites, encompassing characterization of diseases and facilitating a systematic and rational therapeutic strategy based on metabolic patterns. In recent years, the metabolomics approach has been used to obtain a deeper insight into the underlying biochemistry of neurodegenerative disorders and the discovery of biomarkers of clinical implications. The current review mainly focuses on an Indian perspective of metabolomics for the identification of metabolites and metabolic alterations serving as potential diagnostic biomarkers for neurological diseases including acute spinal cord injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tethered cord syndrome, spina bifida, stroke, Parkinson's disease, glioblastoma and neurological disorders with inborn errors of metabolism.

Impacts and Challenges of Advanced Diagnostic Assays for Transplant Infectious Diseases

The advanced technologies described in this chapter should allow for full inventories to be made of bacterial genes, their time- and place-dependent expression, and the resulting proteins as well as their outcome metabolites. The evolution of these molecular technologies will continue, not only in the microbial pathogens but also in the context of host-pathogen interactions targeting human genomics and transcriptomics. Their performance characteristics and limitations must be clearly understood by both laboratory personnel and clinicians to ensure proper utilization and interpretation.

Metabolomic investigation of human diseases biomarkers by CE and LC coupled to MS

Metabolomics is one of the most recent trends in the "omics" era that investigates the end products of an organism activity, that is, all metabolites in a biological system, which are small molecules (less than 1000 Da) from different chemical classes. Metabolomics represents a tool to assess the biochemical activity of a living system through the analysis of substrates and products processed during the metabolism. The analysis of the metabolic profile (nontargeted analysis, i.e. a comparison between samples profiles of individuals) and of specific metabolites (targeted analysis, which quantifies a selected group of metabolites) in biological samples provides an insight into the metabolic state and the biochemical processes of the organism and, therefore, may indicate the onset and the stage of different diseases. An early and accurate diagnosis is essential for successful treatment and probable cure of most illnesses; hence, the investigation of metabolites as disease biomarkers has increased considerably in recent years. This review aims to present the most relevant works that address the nontargeted and targeted analysis of metabolites in different diseases for the past 10 years, including kidney and neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer, using CE and LC coupled with the accurate detection of mass spectroscopy.

Exploring the metabolic state of microorganisms using metabolomics

Microorganisms depend on their ability to modulate their metabolic composition according to specific circumstances, such as different phases of the growth cycle and circadian rhythms, fluctuations in environmental conditions, as well as experimental perturbations. A thorough understanding of these metabolic adaptations requires the ability to comprehensively identify and quantify the metabolome of bacterial cells in different states. In this review, we present an overview of the diverse metabolomics approaches recently adopted to explore the metabolism of a wide variety of microorganisms. Focusing on a selection of illustrative case studies, we assess the different experimental designs used and explore the major achievements and remaining challenges in the field. We conclude by discussing the important complementary information provided by computational methods such as genome-scale metabolic modeling, which enable an integrated analysis of metabolic state changes in the context of overall cellular physiology.