NMR Spectroscopy in Medical Diagnosis and Precision Medicine: Current Trends and Future Directions
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 55
Special Issue Editors
Interests: metabolomics; lipidomics; medical chemistry; biochemistry; molecular biology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a powerful, non-invasive analytical technique that is increasingly taking a central role in medical diagnostics and precision medicine. In this Special Issue, we present the latest applications of NMR spectroscopy in biomedicine, with a focus on metabolomic analyses, early disease detection, and personalized treatment planning.
Among the “omics” sciences, metabolomics is often considered the most recent to emerge, yet it represents the final biochemical layer in understanding organismal complexity. It focuses on identifying and quantifying small organic molecules (<1,500 Da) across various metabolite classes. These molecules, which collectively form the metabolome, include both endogenous compounds and exogenous ones influenced by environment, lifestyle, diet, medication, and the microbiome. Metabolomics reflects the organism’s actual functional state, while genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics are more related to its potential. Though widely applied in food quality, environmental science, and agriculture, the most promising field is clinical metabolomics, which encompasses disease research, biomarker discovery, drug development, epidemiology, and increasingly—precision medicine. As healthcare shifts toward patient-centered approaches, metabolomics offers powerful tools for personalized diagnostics and treatment.
NMR spectroscopy provides key benefits for clinical metabolomics: it is robust, reproducible, unbiased, and highly quantitative. It delivers detailed molecular structural information with minimal sample preparation and simplified data processing. NMR is also well-suited for large cohort studies, multi-center research, and long-term monitoring. Enabling detailed and quantitative analysis of metabolites in biological fluids (serum, plasma, urine) and tissues, NMR spectroscopy offers insights into molecular structures and metabolic changes that accompany disease development and progression.
The research featured in this issue demonstrates the use of NMR in the diagnosis and prognosis of complex diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders, psychiatric, and metabolic diseases. Special emphasis is placed on the identification of novel biomarkers and support for personalized therapy, as well as the integration of NMR spectroscopy into multi-omics approaches and methodological innovations that enhance sensitivity and resolve spectral overlap.
Our goal is to highlight the indispensable role of NMR spectroscopy in future clinical applications and the advancement of precision medicine. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- NMR spectroscopy as a non-invasive technique for metabolite analysis;
- Applications in early diagnosis and personalized therapy;
- Diagnosis of cancer, neurological, psychiatric, and metabolic diseases;
- Identification of novel biomarkers;
- Integration into multi-omics approaches;
- Methodological advances: sensitivity and spectral resolution.
Dr. Nataša Avramović
Dr. Joao Guilherme de Moraes Pontes
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- NMR spectroscopy
- metabolomics
- lipidomics
- biomarkers
- medical diagnosis
- precision medicine
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