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Metabolites
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Advancing Metabolic/Microbial Biomarker Applications in Disease Prevention, Diagnosis and Public...
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Advancing Metabolic/Microbial Biomarker Applications in Disease Prevention, Diagnosis and Public Health

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Endocrinology and Clinical Metabolic Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 3217

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pengcheng Tu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Health, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou 310051, China
Interests: environmental toxicology; gut microbiota; metabolomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bei Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Interests: metabolomics; lipidomics; stable isotope tracing; gut microbiota; multiomics; environmental toxicology; alcohol-related liver disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the rapid advancement of biomedical research, the study of biomarkers has become a crucial topic in disease prevention, diagnosis, and public health. Biomarkers can act as distinctive metabolic signatures for specific diseases, thus revealing the biological features and mechanisms of diseases.

Various biological indicators have been incorporated into biomarker research. These indicators are no longer limited to traditional metabolites and metabolic biomarkers but also include the gut microbiota and their metabolic products. Moreover, the analysis of various biological matrices, such as blood, feces, urine, and saliva, has provided new opportunities for the multidimensional detection of biomarkers. We welcome the submission of research and review articles that investigate the application of biomarkers in disease prevention, diagnosis, and public health initiatives. Biomarker categories encompass metabolic indicators, metabolites, the gut microbiota, and other related biological signatures. In addition, we welcome the submission of both traditional and novel biomarker research. This Special Issue seeks to advance the application of biomarkers to enhance early disease detection, enable precision medicine, and inform public health interventions, ultimately promoting innovation in biomedical research and public health.

Dr. Pengcheng Tu
Dr. Bei Gao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomarkers
  • disease processes
  • gut microbiome
  • multi-omics
  • metabolic indicators
  • clinical applications

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 918 KB  
Article
Dynamics of Urine Metabolomics and Tubular Inflammatory Cytokines in Type 1 Diabetes Across Disease Durations
by Mei-Shiuan Yu, Chih-Yung Chiu, Fu-Sung Lo, Wei-Cheng Lin, Li-Jia Wu, Cih-Yi Yen and Mei-Ching Yu
Metabolites 2025, 15(11), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15110734 - 10 Nov 2025
Viewed by 440
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by sustained inflammation, leading to diabetic kidney disease (DKD). This study investigated urinary tubular injury biomarkers and metabolomic profiles in relation to albuminuria and renal function across varying durations of T1D. [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by sustained inflammation, leading to diabetic kidney disease (DKD). This study investigated urinary tubular injury biomarkers and metabolomic profiles in relation to albuminuria and renal function across varying durations of T1D. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 247 youth-onset T1D patients categorized by disease duration: short ≤ 5 years (T1D-S, n = 62), medium 6–10 years (T1D-M, n = 67), and long > 10 years (T1D-L, n = 118). Urinary cytokines (MCP-1, KIM-1, NGAL) were measured by ELISA. Metabolomic profiling was performed using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Results: Urinary MCP-1/Cr, KIM-1/Cr, and NGAL/Cr levels were significantly elevated in T1D patients compared with non-diabetic controls, but did not correlate with disease duration. Metabolomic profiling identified distinct urinary signatures across T1D duration. Specifically, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and N-delta-acetylornithine (NAO) increased progressively, while N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and pyruvic acid decreased with longer disease duration. These four metabolites remained statistically significant after both based on Mann–Whitney tests with false discovery rate (FDR) correction (q < 0.05) and application of a conservative alpha threshold (p < 0.01), suggesting potential disruptions in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. Conclusions: Urinary biomarkers (MCP-1/Cr, NGAL/Cr, and KIM-1/Cr) are sensitive indicators of subclinical kidney dysfunction in T1D patients, often preceding albuminuria. Alterations in amino acid-related metabolites (NAC, NAA, and NAO) and pyruvate highlight possible metabolic disturbances associated with T1D duration and oxidative stress. However, given the cross-sectional design, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm causality and clarify their predictive value in DKD progression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Metabolic/Microbial Biomarker Applications in Disease Prevention, Diagnosis and Public Health)
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20 pages, 3179 KB  
Article
Development of LC-MS/MS Database Based on 250 Potentially Highly Neuroactive Compounds and Their Metabolites
by Taylor Teitelbaum, Haoduo Zhao, Lauren E. Koval, Yun-Chung Hsiao, Chih-Wei Liu, Julia E. Rager, Stephanie M. Engel and Kun Lu
Metabolites 2025, 15(10), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15100650 - 30 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1433
Abstract
Background: Environmental chemicals are hypothesized to contribute to the development of neurodevelopmental disorders; however, only a fraction of the thousands of chemicals in common commercial use have validated assays. We recently developed the Environmental NeuRoactIve Chemicals (ENRICH) list of 250 chemicals prioritized for [...] Read more.
Background: Environmental chemicals are hypothesized to contribute to the development of neurodevelopmental disorders; however, only a fraction of the thousands of chemicals in common commercial use have validated assays. We recently developed the Environmental NeuRoactIve Chemicals (ENRICH) list of 250 chemicals prioritized for further testing due to their high likelihood of neuroactivity and human exposure, as derived through analysis across eight neuroactivity, exposure, and detection databases. Measuring some of these compounds in human biological media remains challenging due to the lack of information regarding their metabolites and detection frequencies. Methods: We created an LC-MS/MS database based on the targets in the ENRICH list using S9 human liver fractions to metabolize compounds individually and in groups into newly and previously discovered phase I metabolites. Results: The final database consisted of 274 compounds with 94 parent compounds and 182 metabolites being featured. A total of 55 novel metabolites were discovered. The confidence of the compounds, which were annotated correctly within the database, was high, increasing the odds of positive identifications within future exposomic work. The confidence of the annotations fell between the levels 1–3, with levels one and two consisting of 87% of the database. Conclusions: The creation of this database creates the opportunity for future biological studies centered around the impact these compounds and their metabolites have on the brain and for a better understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders and their origins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Metabolic/Microbial Biomarker Applications in Disease Prevention, Diagnosis and Public Health)
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Review

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17 pages, 663 KB  
Review
Gut Microbiota in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: From Biomarkers to Interventions
by Meifen Ji, Meixia Ji, Yebo Zhong and Lewen Shao
Metabolites 2025, 15(9), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15090568 - 25 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1052
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common acute leukemia among adults, poses significant therapeutic challenges due to diagnostic limitations and the frequent development of treatment resistance. While genomics-based approaches have advanced, DNA aberrations do not always reflect the expression levels of genes and [...] Read more.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common acute leukemia among adults, poses significant therapeutic challenges due to diagnostic limitations and the frequent development of treatment resistance. While genomics-based approaches have advanced, DNA aberrations do not always reflect the expression levels of genes and proteins, which are more tightly connected to disease phenotypes. Recently, the role of the gut microbiota in AML has gained increasing attention. AML patients often exhibit gut microbiota dysbiosis, which is linked to disease progression and heightened infection risk. Mounting evidence indicates that gut microbiota metabolism influences hematopoiesis and immune function via the “gut-bone marrow axis,” with microbiota composition and diversity significantly affecting treatment outcomes and prognosis. High-throughput sequencing and metabolomics have identified correlations between gut microbiota composition and its metabolic products with AML clinical characteristics, paving the way for new biomarkers in diagnosis and prognosis. Additionally, treatments such as fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) show promise in enhancing chemotherapy efficacy and improving patient outcomes. This review highlights recent advances in understanding the role of the gut microbiota in AML and explores new perspectives for its diagnosis and treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Metabolic/Microbial Biomarker Applications in Disease Prevention, Diagnosis and Public Health)
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