Guerra-Ruiz A. Kick-start for metabolomics in liver disease. World J Hepatol 2024; 16(9): 1206-1210 [PMID: 39351520 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i9.1206]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Armando Guerra-Ruiz, PhD, Consultant Physician-Scientist, Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Marques de Valdecilla, Avda Valdecilla s/n, Santander 39008, Cantabria, Spain. r-gruiz@hotmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Hepatol. Sep 27, 2024; 16(9): 1206-1210 Published online Sep 27, 2024. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i9.1206
Kick-start for metabolomics in liver disease
Armando Guerra-Ruiz
Armando Guerra-Ruiz, Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Marques de Valdecilla, Santander 39008, Cantabria, Spain
Armando Guerra-Ruiz, Commission on Biochemical Assessment of Liver Disease, Spanish Society of Clinical Chemistry (SEQC-ML), Barcelona 08025, Catalonia, Spain
Armando Guerra-Ruiz, Digestive Diseases, Valdecilla Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander 39011, Cantabria, Spain
Author contributions: As the sole author, Guerra-Ruiz A was responsible for all aspects of the work, including conception, design, research, writing, and finalization of the manuscript. No external contributions or assistance were involved in the preparation of this editorial.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Received: May 18, 2024 Revised: July 12, 2024 Accepted: July 17, 2024 Published online: September 27, 2024 Processing time: 128 Days and 9.4 Hours
Abstract
It is not complicated for the clinician to diagnose a patient with advanced fibrosis or liver cirrhosis when he has already presented some decompensation of his liver disease. However, it is in the earliest stages when the patient's prognosis can be modified the most. Since liver disease is generally asymptomatic, not invasive markers are of great relevance. In the era of omics, it is time for metabolomics to accompany genomics and proteomics, which are more established in the diagnostics and prognostics clinical toolbox. Metabolomics, understood as the comprehensive evaluation of the metabolites present in the organism in a specific physiological situation, has undoubted advantages in the study and identification of serum markers relevant to a specific pathology. Last year, I read with interest two articles published in this journal: “Baseline metabolites could predict responders with hepatitis B virus-related liver fibrosis for entecavir or combined with FuzhengHuayu tablet” by Dai et al and “Metabolomics in chronic hepatitis C: Decoding fibrosis grading and underlying pathways” by Ferrasi et al. Both papers illuminate the power of metabolomics to provide us with new tools in the management of liver disease. In this editorial, I comment on these studies and others, and note how they can contribute to our understanding of liver disease in more than one way.
Core Tip: This editorial explores the transformative potential of metabolomics in liver disease research and management. Highlighting four key studies, we explore how metabolomics aids in biomarker discovery, reveals altered biochemical pathways, supports personalized medicine, and elucidates disease mechanisms. By integrating metabolomics in clinical practice, we can enhance early diagnosis, optimize treatment strategies, and develop targeted therapies, ultimately improving patient outcomes. This comprehensive approach underscores the versatility and importance of metabolomics in advancing precision medicine for liver diseases.
