Sciencewerke & HMT: Metabolomics in Cancer Research
What is Metabolomics?
Metabolomics is defined as the comprehensive analysis of the types and concentrations of metabolites. When metabolism is affected by external stimuli (environmental changes such as temperature, light, drug intake, etc.) or diseases, the types, and concentrations of metabolites in the cells can also change. By analysing these metabolic changes, it is possible to search for biomarkers, and develop and test hypotheses about the organism’s metabolism.
Metabolomics Application in Cancer Research
Metabolomics profiling helps to identify specific metabolic changes in cancer cells and tissues, providing a deeper understanding of the role altered cellular metabolism plays in tumorigenesis, as well as in disease progression.
Targeting cancer metabolism pathways with metabolomics will be useful in determining critical biomarkers for early detection and therapeutic interventions.
In cancer cells, most of the pyruvate from glycolysis is directed away from the mitochondria to produce lactate, while excess glucose is diverted through the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and serine-glycine biosynthesis pathway to produce nucleotides. Click here for more details.
HMT’s metabolome analysis employs CE-MS & LC-MS platforms. The technologies are optimized to measure metabolites related to cellular energy metabolism, e.g., amino acids, short-chain fatty acids, polyamines, in most types of samples, including:
Biofluids (plasma, serum, saliva, urine, etc.)
Tissue extracts, biopsies, etc.
Cultured cells
Quantitation
Over 100 polar metabolites involved in cancer metabolism are quantifiable with single- or multi-point calibration.High resolution Good separation of structural isomers e.g., isobaric fatty acids, oxidative products.
Click here to view HMT’s range of Analysis Plans available, based on different metabolites and metabolic pathways.
Additional Resources :
Metabolic pathways promoting tumorigenesis in fibroblasts lacking thrombospondin 1 – Annals of Oncology, 2017 (IF: 51.769)
A UBE2O-AMPKα2 axis that promotes tumor initiation and progression offers opportunities for therapy – Cancer Cells, 2017 (IF: 38.585)
PKM1 Confers Metabolic Advantages and Promotes Cell-Autonomous Tumor Cell Growth – Cancer Cells, 2018 (IF: 38.585)