Metabolomics in diabetes mellitus: clinical insight

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic heterogeneous metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells and/or insulin resistance. It is now considered a global epidemic disease associated with serious threats to a patient’s life. Understanding the metabolic pathways involved in disease pathogenesis and progression is important and would improve prevention and management strategies. Metabolomics is an emerging field of research that offers valuable insights into the metabolic perturbation associated with metabolic diseases, including DM.

Area covered

Herein, we discussed the metabolomics in type 1 and 2 DM research, including its contribution to understanding disease pathogenesis and identifying potential novel biomarkers clinically useful for disease screening, monitoring, and prognosis. In addition, we highlighted the metabolic changes associated with treatment effects, including insulin and different anti-diabetic medications.

Expert opinion

By analyzing the metabolome, the metabolic disturbances involved in T1DM and T2DM can be explored, enhancing our understanding of the disease progression and potentially leading to novel clinical diagnostic and effective new therapeutic approaches. In addition, identifying specific metabolites would be potential clinical biomarkers for predicting the disease and thus preventing and managing hyperglycemia and its complications.

KEYWORDS:

• Metabolomics
• clinical insight
• T1DM
• T2DM
• biomarker discovery
• anti-diabetic medications

Article highlights

• Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a heterogeneous progressive disease with various clinical presentations.

• The development of effective panels of biomarkers that can improve diagnostic and predictive capabilities and enhance monitoring and appropriate treatment are necessarily critical in the management of diabetes.

• Metabolomics is a powerful tool to explore metabolite changes and their relation to DM.

• The BCAAs and aromatic amino acids metabolites involved in energy and lipid metabolism were mostly dysregulated in diabetes.

• Insulin treatment and other anti-diabetic medications have a significant effect on human metabolome. Therefore, it is clinically important to consider patients’ metabolic profile changes when planning suitable anti-diabetic treatment or supplement choices.

Declarations of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.