title: Renal cell carcinoma: a critical analysis of metabolomic biomarkers emerging from current model systems.
abstract: Metabolomics, an emerging field of "omics" sciences, has caught wide scientific attention in the area of biomarker research for cancers in which early diagnostic biomarkers have the potential to greatly improve patient outcome, such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Metabolomic approaches have been successfully applied to various human RCC model systems, mostly ex vivo neoplastic renal tissues and biofluids (urine and serum) from patients with RCC. Importantly, in contrast to other cancers, only a few studies have addressed the RCC metabolome using cancer cell culture-based in vitro models. Herein, we first carried out a comprehensive review of current metabolomic data in RCC, with emphasis on metabolite disturbances and dysregulated metabolic pathways identified in each of these experimental models. We then critically analyzed the consistency of evidence in this field and whether metabolites found altered in tumor cell and tissue microenvironment are reflected in biofluids, which constitute the rationale underlying the translation of discovered metabolic biomarkers into noninvasive diagnostic tools. Finally, dominant metabolic pathways and promising metabolites as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of RCC are outlined.
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Faculty of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: daniela.fgrodrigues@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Faculty of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP) Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jerónimo
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group, Research Center (CI-IPOP) Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology and Molecular Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology, Portuguese Oncology Institute-Porto (IPO-Porto), Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Henrique
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Faculty of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Belo
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Faculty of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria de Lourdes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Faculty of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guedes de Pinho
authors.affiliation: UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Faculty of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; FP-ENAS (UFP Energy, Environment and Health Research Unit), CEBIMED (Biomedical Research Centre), Fernando Pessoa University, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: mcarv@ufp.edu.pt.
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D055442:Metabolome; D008954:Models, Biological; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor