A Metabolomic Approach to the Identification of Cancer

BiomarkersClive Baveghems

Bioanalytical ChemistrySpring 2011

Outline

• What is Metabolomics?• Metabolomic screening for the

identification of cancer biomarkers• Metabolomic screening for the

identification of prostate cancer biomarkers

Introduction to Metabolomics

Sawyer, J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 21831: 2

Yearly increase in Metabolomics publications

Ong, Trends in Analytical Chemistry 2010; 29(3):270

Note: 2010 total ~ 750

Factors influencing the Metabolome

Sawyer, J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 21831: 2

Outline

• What is Metabolomics?√• Metabolomic screening for the

identification of cancer biomarkers• Metabolomic screening for the

identification of prostate cancer biomarkers

Biomarker Identification

Sawyer, J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 21831: 4

Cancer biomarkers identified so far

Sawyer, J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 21831: 5

Key Metabolites implicated so far

Sawyer, J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 21831: 6

Outline

• What is Metabolomics?√• Metabolomic screening for the

identification of cancer biomarkerså Metabolomic screening for the

identification of prostate cancer biomarkers

Prostate Cancer

• From 2003-2007 median age for diagnosis was 67

• The age-adjusted incidence rate was 156.9/100, 000 men per year

• The median age at death was 80• The age-adjusted death rate was

24.7/100, 000 men per year

http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/prost.html

Results from LC and GC-MS

Chinnaiyan, Nature 2009; 457(12): 911

Sarcosine identified as a biomarker for prostate cancer

Chinnaiyan, Nature 2009; 457(12): 913

Is sarcosine a biomarker for prostate cancer?

Jung, Journal of Urology 2011; 185: 708

GC-MS data

Summary

• Metabolomics has emerged as a fast and efficient method for the identification of a small set of candidate biomarkers from a large eclectic data set

• LC/MS, GC/MS, and NMR are important metabolomic technologies

• Future studies will further explain sarcosine’s role in Prostate Cancer

References• Metabolomics and Surgical Oncology: Potential Role for Small

Molecule Biomarkers Sawyer, J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 21831: 1-9

• Metabolomic profiles delineate potential role for sarcosine in

prostate cancer progression Chinnaiyan, Nature 2009; 457(12): 910-915

• Sarcosine in Prostate Cancer Tissue is Not a Differential Metabolite for Prostate Cancer Progressiveness and Biochemical Progression Jung, Journal of Urology 2011; 185: 706-711

• Experiment-originated variations, and multi-peak and muti-origination phenomena in derivatization-based GC-MS metabolomics Ong, Trends in Analytical Chemistry 2010; 29(3):269-280