Nmr Metabolomics of Renal Cancer: an Overview

Abstract

This paper reviews the use of NMR metabolomics for the metabolic characterization of renal cancer. The existing challenges in the clinical management of this disease are first presented, followed by a brief introduction to the metabolomics approach, in the context of cancer research. A subsequent review of the literature on NMR metabolic studies of renal cancer reveals that the subject has been clearly underdeveloped, compared with other types of cancer, particularly regarding cultured cells and tissue analysis. NMR analysis of biofluids has focused on blood (plasma or serum) metabolomics, comprising no account of studies on human urine, in spite of its noninvasiveness and physiological proximity to the affected organs. Finally, some areas of potential future development are identified.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (Ref. FCT UID/CTM/50011/2013), financed by national funds through FCT/MEC and cofinanced by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. The authors acknowledge the Portuguese National NMR Network (RNRMN), supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) funds and FCT for financial support through projects PestC/EQB/LA0006/2011 and Pest-OE/QUI/UI0612/2013. MS Monteiro acknowledges FCT for her PhD grant (SFRH/BD/80518/2011). The authors have no other 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 apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (Ref. FCT UID/CTM/50011/2013), financed by national funds through FCT/MEC and cofinanced by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. The authors acknowledge the Portuguese National NMR Network (RNRMN), supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) funds and FCT for financial support through projects PestC/EQB/LA0006/2011 and Pest-OE/QUI/UI0612/2013. MS Monteiro acknowledges FCT for her PhD grant (SFRH/BD/80518/2011). The authors have no other 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 apart from those disclosed.