Emerging role and recent applications of metabolomics biomarkers in obesity disease research

Abstract

Metabolomics is a promising approach for the identification of metabolites which serve for early diagnosis, prediction of therapeutic response and prognosis of disease. Obesity is becoming a major health concern in the world. The mechanisms underlying obesity have not been well characterized; obviously, more sensitive biomarkers for obesity diseases are urgently needed. Fortunately, metabolomics-the systematic study of metabolites, which are small molecules generated by the process of metabolism-has been important in elucidating the pathways underlying obesity-associated co-morbidities. The endogenous metabolites have key roles in biological systems and represent attractive candidates to understand obesity phenotypes. Novel metabolite markers are crucial to develop diagnostics for obesity related metabolic disorders. Metabolomics allows unparalleled opportunities to seize the molecular mechanisms of obesity and obesity-related diseases. In this review, we discuss the current state of metabolomic analysis of obesity diseases, and also highlight the potential role of key metabolites in assessing obesity disease and explore the interrelated pathways.