A prototype of a system capable of determining the probability of a particular disease by the ratio of various metabolites in the blood serum was created by scientists at Sechenov University. Now the Metaboscan system is able to detect a number of cardiovascular and oncological diseases, and in the future the list of pathologies will expand significantly. The inclusion of such a metabolomic screening in the annual medical examination program will make it possible to identify or predict many disorders and deal with their treatment or prevention in a timely manner.
A metabolome is a collection of all the metabolites of the body, the end products of metabolism. The metabolic profile makes it possible to obtain the most complete data on the processes that occur at the level of both the cell and the whole organism. The concentration of certain metabolites in the blood serum can be influenced, among other things, by various diseases.
"The proposed metabolomic screening includes an analysis of more than 100 metabolites and their ratios, including products of energy metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, water-soluble vitamins and other substances. For the quantitative determination of metabolites, mass spectrometric analysis is used, which takes about five minutes," said a senior researcher at the Laboratory of Pharmacokinetics and Metabolomic Analysis of Sechenov University. Ksenia Shestakova.
To create the system, the researchers analyzed the metabolic profiles of hundreds of patients with cardiovascular and oncological diseases, finding out which metabolic changes correspond to a particular pathology. Then, using machine learning algorithms, they built a model that could determine the probability of a patient having a certain disease with an accuracy of 91% by the level of metabolites.
"The technology has been developed, and now it has to be tested and scaled. At this stage, the method showed good quality and accuracy of the forecast. In the future, our system will allow us to determine the probability of a particular pathology based on a rapid screening analysis," Ksenia Shestakova added.
The examination with the help of Metaboscan can become part of the annual medical examination program — a patient's blood sample will be sent to the laboratory for analysis of the metabolome using a mass spectrometer. This will make it possible to determine the probability of the presence of a particular disease or the risks of its development and, if necessary, refer the patient for additional examinations.
Also, the analysis of the metabolomic profile can be used as a separate screening method. As a biomaterial, not only serum can act, but also a dry blood stain — a sample of capillary blood applied to a special paper. This approach will give the patient the opportunity, if desired, to take a sample independently, using a special kit, and send it to the laboratory.
During the analysis, the levels of many metabolites are measured at once, so in the future the list of assessed diseases is planned to be significantly expanded — it will include various pathologies, including osteoporosis, bronchial asthma, drug addiction, depression and many others.
Such a system will allow timely detection of the pathologies under consideration, which will contribute to improving the quality of diagnostics, as well as reducing material costs for healthcare, scientists are sure.
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