Metabolomics in Human Diseases and Health: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Advances in Metabolomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 473

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Diabetes Center, First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece
Interests: diabetes; lipids; biomarkers; lipoproteins; obesity; microbiota; sepsis; antibiotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Interests: pharmacology; cardiac remodeling; cardiac regeneration; heart failure; sepsis; hypertension; atherogenesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolomics is a rapidly evolving field dedicated to the comprehensive identification and analysis of small molecules or metabolites present in various biological samples, including cells, tissues, and bodily fluids. Unlike other "omics" technologies, metabolomics offers a direct reflection of cellular and tissue metabolic activity and status, making it a promising tool for understanding the molecular phenotype. This field employs both untargeted and targeted approaches, with mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy being the primary analytical techniques. In the context of human health, metabolomics plays a pivotal role in identifying metabolic patterns associated with various diseases such as cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.

These unique metabolic signatures can serve as diagnostic markers, facilitating early disease detection, monitoring disease progression, and guiding personalized treatment strategies. Furthermore, metabolomics contributes to a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms, paving the way for the development of novel therapeutic interventions and precision-targeted treatments. Therefore, metabolomics holds significant potential for advancing our understanding of human diseases and improving patient care outcomes, offering valuable insights into diagnosis and prognosis.

The aim of this Special Issue, titled "Metabolomics in Human Diseases," is to provide an in-depth overview of the field, focusing on the aspects mentioned above. We warmly invite submissions of original research and review articles that explore these themes and contribute to the advancement of metabolomics in human health.

Dr. Dimitris Kounatidis
Dr. Iordanis Mourouzis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • metabolomics
  • NAFLD
  • biomarkers
  • obesity
  • mass spectrometry
  • NMR spectroscopy
  • diabetes mellitus
  • cancer
  • cardiovascular diseases
  • neurodegenerative diseases

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 754 KB  
Article
Maternal Inflammation During Pregnancy and Cord Blood Metabolomic Signatures in the Context of HIV Exposure
by Tianyue Fu, Ellen C. Francis, Carolyn Kinkade, Rhoda S. Sperling, Yunping Qiu, Irwin J. Kurland, Jennifer Jao and Stephanie Shiau
Metabolites 2025, 15(12), 765; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15120765 - 25 Nov 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Pregnant people with HIV (PWH) are more likely to experience systemic inflammation than pregnant people without HIV (PWoH), which may contribute to adverse outcomes in HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well studied. This study examined associations [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Pregnant people with HIV (PWH) are more likely to experience systemic inflammation than pregnant people without HIV (PWoH), which may contribute to adverse outcomes in HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well studied. This study examined associations between maternal inflammatory markers during pregnancy and cord blood inflammatory markers and metabolomic signatures. Methods: Between 2011 and 2025, pregnant PWH and PWoH were enrolled at 24–28 weeks of gestational age. Maternal plasma was analyzed for inflammatory markers [interleukin (IL)-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), soluble TNF-α receptor 1 (sTNFR1) and 2 (sTNFR2), soluble CD163 (sCD163), soluble CD14 (sCD14)]. At delivery, cord blood was collected for measurement of IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-10 and for targeted metabolomics by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Spearman correlation, linear regression, and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) were used to evaluate associations, stratified by HIV exposure. Results: This study included 22 PWH and 47 PWoH and their infants. Among HEU infants, but not HUU infants, maternal IL-6 correlated with cord blood TNFα (r = 0.443, p < 0.05) and maternal sTNFR1 correlated with both cord blood TNFα (r = 0.617, p < 0.05) and IFNγ (r = −0.517, p < 0.05). WGCNA identified five metabolomic modules. In the HEU group, naternal sCD14 was positively associated with a metabolomic module characterized by lysophosphotidylecholines in the HEU group. Conclusions: We identified distinct patterns in the relationships between maternal inflammation and infant immune–metabolic profiles by HIV exposure status. These findings suggest that HIV infection, even with viral suppression, may alter the maternal–fetal inflammatory interface and influence early metabolic programming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metabolomics in Human Diseases and Health: 2nd Edition)
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