Dear Colleagues,

Human breath, along with urine and blood, has long been one of the three major biological media for assessing human health and environmental exposure. Exhaled breath contains thousands of potential biomarkers, many of which are relevant to the respiratory clinician and researcher. Although less common in comparison to contemporary bio-fluids analyses, breath has become an attractive diagnostic medium as sampling is non-invasive. Over the past 20 years, breath research has made many advances in assessing health state, especially for new potential biomarkers for diseases such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia and others non respiratory diseases. Overcoming many of its initial challenges related to sampling and analysis the new advanced methods for breath molecular profiling are constantly developed. Mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to separation techniques such as gas/liquid chromatography (GC/LC) is the main tool in Omics studies (proteomics, metabolomics) and is the most powerful approach for breath research which ensures reliable identification and discovery of new substances and potential biomarkers. At the same time more portable online MS based methods such as SIFT MS, PTR-MS, ambient MS with direct breath ionization (SESI, EESI etc.) and ion mobility approaches such as FAIMS showed its potential for online breath molecular profiling and patients diagnostics. Also new spectroscopy based technologies which included Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and optical/chemical/biosensors are developing for online/offline analysis of breath and its molecular profiling for clinical application.

The current issue is focused on methodological advances in breath molecular profiling for assessing health state and new potential biomarkers discovery for diseases such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia and others non respiratory diseases. The special attention will be paid to studies of the breath research capabilities for monitoring of respiratory diseases associated with COVID-19.

With regards,

Dr. Alexey Koninikhin
Prof. E N Nikolaev
Dr. Vladimir Frankevich
Guest Editors

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• Exhaled Breath Analysis
• Exhaled Breath Condensate (EBC)
• Mass-Spectrometry
• SIFT MS
• PTR-MS
• FAIMS
• Spectroscopy
• Biosensors
• NMR
• Omics
• Proteomics
• Metabolomics
• Respiratory Diseases
• Lung Cancer
• COPD
• Tuberculosis
• Pneumonia
• COVID-19