Standardizing and increasing the utility of lipidomics: a look to the next decade

ABSTRACT

Introduction: We present our views on the current application of mass spectrometry (MS) based lipidomics and how lipidomics can develop in the next decade to be most practical use to society. That is not to say that lipidomics has not already been of value. In-fact, in its earlier guise as metabolite profiling most of the pathways of steroid biosynthesis were uncovered and via focused lipidomics many inborn errors of metabolism are routinely clinically identified. However, can lipidomics be extended to improve biochemical understanding of, and to diagnose, the most prevalent diseases of the 21^st century?

Areas covered: We will highlight the concept of ‘level of identification’ and the equally crucial topic of ‘quantification’. Only by using a standardized language for these terms can lipidomics be translated to fields beyond academia. We will remind the lipid scientist of the value of chemical derivatization, a concept exploited since the dawn of lipid biochemistry.

Expert opinion: Only by agreement of the concepts of identification and quantification and their incorporation in lipidomics reporting can lipidomics maximize its value.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical chemistry
• identification
• in-born errors of metabolism
• imaging
• lipids
• mass spectrometry
• medicine
• quantification

Article highlights

• Lipidomics requires clear reporting, using commonly accepted concepts especially those for identification and quantification

• Lipidomics requires the use of common standard compounds and standard reference material

• Lipidomics will enhance our fundamental understanding of basics bioscience

• Lipidomics has the potential to enhance our understanding of diseases prevalent to 21^st century

• Lipidomics can become a key technology in clinical chemistry

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank members of the European Network for Oxysterol Research (ENOR, https://www.oxysterols.net/) for their informative discussions.

Reviewer disclosures

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

Declaration of interest

WJG and YW are listed as inventors on the patent “Kit and method for quantitative detection of steroids” US9851368B2. WJG, YW and EY are shareholders in CholesteniX Ltd.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC, grant numbers BB/N015932/1 to WJG, BB/L001942/1 to YW).