Metabolomics markers in Neurology: current knowledge and future perspectives for therapeutic targeting

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Metabolomics is an emerging approach providing new insights into the metabolic changes and underlying mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders.

Areas covered

Here, the authors present an overview of the current knowledge of metabolic profiling (metabolomics) to provide critical insight on the role of biochemical markers and metabolic alterations in neurological diseases.

Expert opinion

Elucidation of characteristic metabolic alterations in neurological disorders is crucial for a better understanding of their pathogenesis, and for identifying potential biomarkers and drug targets. Nevertheless, discrepancies in diagnostic criteria, sample handling protocols, and analytical methods still affect the generalizability of current study results.

KEYWORDS:

• Metabolomics
• biochemical markers
• metabolites
• neurology
• drug targets

Article highlights

• Metabolomics is an emerging approach providing new insights into individual metabolic profile.

• The investigation of characteristic metabolic alterations in neurological disorders is crucial for a better understanding of their pathogenesis.

• Metabolomics markers hold the potential of improving diagnosis, follow-up of patients, and clinical trial outcomes.

• Discrepancies in the phenotyping/classification of the neurological diseases and their subtypes, the mixed cohorts of patients and uncontrolled sampling conditions, have, to date, prevented identification of clear metabolic profiles and pathways.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Metabolomics Core Facility at the University of Surrey.

Declaration of interest

G Cavaletti is a recipient of a research grant from Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC Progetto IG 2016 Id.18631). G Cavaletti is a consultant to Disarm Therapeutics, Inc, Helsinn Healthcare SA, PledPharma AB, Seattle Genetics Inc., Toray; he is a non-voting member of the Board of Directors of The Peripheral Nerve Society; and he is Associate Editor, Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System. DJ Skene holds research grants from UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Grants (BB/I019405/1 and BB/S01814X/1). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

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

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.