It is evident that biochemical control is not strictly hierarchical and that intermediary metabolism can contribute to control of regulatory pathways. Metabolic studies are therefore increasingly important in gene function analyses, and an increased interest in metabolites as biomarkers for disease progression or response to therapeutic intervention is also evident in the pharmaceutical industry. This book offers guidelines to currently available technology and bioinformatics and database strategies now being developed. Evidence is presented that metabolic profiling is a valuable addition to genomics and proteomics strategies devoted to drug discovery and development, and that metabolic profiling offers numerous advantages.

Metabolome analysis is now recognized as a crucial component of functional genomic and systems biology investigations. Innovative approaches to the study of metabolic regulation in microbial, plant and animal systems are increasingly facilitating the emergence of systems approaches in biology. This book highlights analytical and bioinformatics strategies now available for investigating metabolic networks in microbial, plant and animal systems. The contributing authors are world leaders in this field and they present an unambiguous case for pursuing metabolome analysis as a means to attain a systems level understanding of complex biological systems.

Proteomic and Metabolomic Approaches to Biomarker Discovery demonstrates how to leverage biomarkers to improve accuracy and reduce errors in research. Disease biomarker discovery is one of the most vibrant and important areas of research today, as the identification of reliable biomarkers has an enormous impact on disease diagnosis, selection of treatment regimens, and therapeutic monitoring. Various techniques are used in the biomarker discovery process, including techniques used in proteomics, the study of the proteins that make up an organism, and metabolomics, the study of chemical fingerprints created from cellular processes. Proteomic and Metabolomic Approaches to Biomarker Discovery is the only publication that covers techniques from both proteomics and metabolomics and includes all steps involved in biomarker discovery, from study design to study execution. The book describes methods, and presents a standard operating procedure for sample selection, preparation, and storage, as well as data analysis and modeling. This new standard effectively eliminates the differing methodologies used in studies and creates a unified approach. Readers will learn the advantages and disadvantages of the various techniques discussed, as well as potential difficulties inherent to all steps in the biomarker discovery process. A vital resource for biochemists, biologists, analytical chemists, bioanalytical chemists, clinical and medical technicians, researchers in pharmaceuticals, and graduate students, Proteomic and Metabolomic Approaches to Biomarker Discovery provides the information needed to reduce clinical error in the execution of research. Describes the use of biomarkers to reduce clinical errors in research Includes techniques from a range of biomarker discoveries Covers all steps involved in biomarker discovery, from study design to study execution

In the four pages committed to a discussion of myocardial infarction in the first edition of Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, published in 1950, there was no mention of use of the laboratory for management of patients. Thirty years later, when the first edition of Braunwald’s Heart Disease, A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine was published, 2 out of the 1943 pages in the text contained a discussion of the laboratory examinations in acute myocardial infarction. Our knowledge base of the multitude of ways that physicians can and should use the clinical chemistry laboratory has expanded dramatically since these classic texts were published. The nomenclature has changed: terms such as “cardiac enzymes” have given way to “cardiac biomarkers. ” The number of assays has multiplied, and the operating characteristics of available assays are impr- ing at a gratifying but dizzying rate. We now use biomarkers to diagnose cardiovascular diseases and also to frame our treatment strategies. Thus, there is a clear need for a scholarly compilation of the state of the art of cardiac biomarkers. Dr. David Morrow has expertly edited an authoritative book that answers this need. The 34 chapters in Cardiovascular Biomarkers: Pathophysiology and Disease Mana- ment were written by a group of individuals who are internationally recognized thought leaders and experts in clinical and laboratory medicine.

In the past decade there has been a major sea change in the way disease is diagnosed and investigated due to the advent of high throughput technologies, such as microarrays, lab on a chip, proteomics, genomics, lipomics, metabolomics etc. These advances have enabled the discovery of new and novel markers of disease relating to autoimmune disorders, cancers, endocrine diseases, genetic disorders, sensory damage, intestinal diseases etc. In many instances these developments have gone hand in hand with the discovery of biomarkers elucidated via traditional or conventional methods, such as histopathology or clinical biochemistry. Together with microprocessor-based data analysis, advanced statistics and bioinformatics these markers have been used to identify individuals with active disease or pathology as well as those who are refractory or have distinguishing pathologies. New analytical methods that have been used to identify markers of disease and is suggested that there may be as many as 40 different platforms. Unfortunately techniques and methods have not been readily transferable to other disease states and sometimes diagnosis still relies on single analytes rather than a cohort of markers. There is thus a demand for a comprehensive and focused evidenced-based text and scientific literature that addresses these issues. Hence the formulation of Biomarkers in Disease The series covers a wide number of areas including for example, nutrition, cancer, endocrinology, cardiology, addictions, immunology, birth defects, genetics, and so on. The chapters are written by national or international experts and specialists.

This volume explores the different approaches and techniques used by researchers to study the recent challenges and developments in metabolic profiling. This book is divided into IV parts. Part I contains chapters that highlight basic concepts, such as experimental design, data treatment, metabolite identification, and harmonization. Part II describes experimental protocols for both targeted and untargeted metabolomics covering the basic analytical technologies: LC-MS, GC-MS, NMR and CE-MS. In addition the protocols describe methods for the study of tissues, feces, blood and other types of biological samples as well as the application of chemical derivatization for GC-MS. Parts III and IV present the use of metabolomics in the study of food, plants and the life sciences, with examples from the quest for the discovery of disease biomarkers, physical exercise omics and metabolic profiling of food, fruit and wine. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and thorough, Metabolic Profiling: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for researchers who are interested in expanding their knowledge of this rapidly developing field.

Metabolomics – which deals with all metabolites of an organism – is a rapidly-emerging sector of post-genome research fields. It plays significant roles in a variety of fields from medicine to agriculture and holds a fundamental position in functional genomics studies and their application in plant biotechnology. This volume comprehensively covers plant metabolomics for the first time. The chapters offer cutting-edge information on analytical technology, bioinformatics and applications. They were all written by leading researchers who have been directly involved in plant metabolomics research throughout the world. Up-to-date information and future developments are described, thereby producing a volume which is a landmark of plant metabolomics research and a beneficial guideline to graduate students and researchers in academia, industry, and technology transfer organizations in all plant science fields.