1H-NMR and LCMS-based metabolomics on human plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) for early detection of colorectal cancer.

The functional levels of a biological system include the genome, transcriptome, proteome and metabolome, and the latter is considered as most representative of the phenotype. Tumors develop tumor-specific metabolism that endows them with more predominant proliferation, independent of tissue type, while retaining some metabolic traits of the tissue from which they originated. Exploring the cancer metabolome is considered as a promising way to reveal phenotypic changes related to cancer, and to establish specific biomarkers that may be used in screening for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Many cancers have a higher cure rate if detected in early stages. Metabolomics is an analytical tool used in conjunction with pattern recognition approaches and bioinformatics to detect metabolites and follow their changes in biofluids or tissue. 1H-NMR spectroscopy and LCMS are the two major spectroscopic techniques used in metabolic analysis. This project focuses on colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been established that, apart from plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) may provide potential prognostic biomarkers for disease, and may constitute an excellent starting point for early CRC biomarker discovery. Therefore, the main objective of this project is the metabolomics analysis by 1H-NMR and LCMS of plasma and PBMC from diagnosed CRC patients in various stages and healthy controls, and to establish a set of early biomarkers for this cancer type.

Keywords:COLORECTAL CANCER

Disciplines:Biomarker discovery and evaluation, Drug discovery and development, Medicinal products, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy and phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacotherapy, Toxicology and toxinology, Other pharmaceutical sciences

Project type:Collaboration project