title: Blood transcriptomics and metabolomics for personalized medicine.
abstract: Molecular analysis of blood samples is pivotal to clinical diagnosis and has been intensively investigated since the rise of systems biology. Recent developments have opened new opportunities to utilize transcriptomics and metabolomics for personalized and precision medicine. Efforts from human immunology have infused into this area exquisite characterizations of subpopulations of blood cells. It is now possible to infer from blood transcriptomics, with fine accuracy, the contribution of immune activation and of cell subpopulations. In parallel, high-resolution mass spectrometry has brought revolutionary analytical capability, detecting > 10,000 metabolites, together with environmental exposure, dietary intake, microbial activity, and pharmaceutical drugs. Thus, the re-examination of blood chemicals by metabolomics is in order. Transcriptomics and metabolomics can be integrated to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the human biological states. We will review these new data and methods and discuss how they can contribute to personalized medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Shuzhao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Todor
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, One Park Place, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
authors.forename: Ruiyan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luo
keywords: Blood systems biology; Data integration; Metabolomics; Personalized medicine; Transcriptomics