title: Recent and potential developments of biofluid analyses in metabolomics.
abstract: Metabolomics, one of the 'omic' sciences in systems biology, is the global assessment and validation of endogenous small-molecule metabolites within a biologic system. Analysis of these key metabolites in body fluids has become an important role to monitor the state of biological organisms and is a widely used diagnostic tool for disease. A majority of these metabolites are being applied to metabolic profiling of the biological samples, for example, plasma and whole blood, serum, urine, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, semen, and tissue homogenates. However, the recognition of the need for a holistic approach to metabolism led to the application of metabolomics to biological fluids for disease diagnostics. A recent surge in metabolomic applications which are probably more accurate than routine clinical practice, dedicated to characterizing the biological fluids. While developments in the analysis of biofluid samples encompassing an important impediment, it must be emphasized that these biofluids are complementary. Metabolomics provides potential advantages that classical diagnostic approaches do not, based on following discovery of a suite of clinically relevant biomarkers that are simultaneously affected by the disease. Emerging as a promising biofocus, metabolomics will drive biofluid analyses and offer great benefits for public health in the long-term.
authors.affiliation: National TCM Key Lab of Serum Pharmacochemistry, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Heping Road 24, Harbin 150040, China
authors.forename: Aihua
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Xijun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D055442:Metabolome; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D012107:Research Design
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers