Metabolomics – Key Tool for Diabetes Research

The risk for diabetes or other metabolic diseases increases enormously, when unhealthy eating habits and a lack of exercise coincide with genetic disposition. Researchers of Helmholtz Zentrum München discovered variants of known diabetes risk genes and other genes, which for the first time they could definitely link with lipometabolism disorders. Their research results contribute towards a better understanding of the disease and the development of diabetes and could also enable the development of new approaches for early diagnosis and therapy.

Professor Dr. Karsten Suhre of the Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology at Helmholtz Zentrum München works in the new field of metabolomics. He and his colleagues are studying the composition and concentration of the body’s metabolic products, the so-called metabolites. The composition of metabolites is dependent on a person’s genetic makeup. For instance, persons with other variants of diabetes risk genes also display a corresponding different composition and activity of enzymes encoded by these genes. And this has a direct impact on the concentration of metabolites in the serum. Different metabolic profiles are also called metabotypes. A human being’s metabotype hence depends on genetic disposition and is influenced by diet and life style.

Against this background, the team of researchers led by Karsten Suhre together with Dr. Christian Gieger, Dr. Thomas Illig and Professor Dr. Jerzy Adamski of Helmholtz Zentrum München studied the concentration of more than 150 metabolites in blood samples from 1,800 participants in the population study KORA. KORA stands for “Cooperative Health Research in the Augsburg Region” and is headed by Professor Dr. Dr. H.-Erich Wichmann, Helmholtz Zentrum München. The metabolic profiles were compared and correlated with the genetic variants of the KORA subjects. For the first time, the Helmholtz researchers could demonstrate with their study a direct connection between gene variants and differences in metabolism. “The link between genetics and metabolites is new and decisively advances our search for markers for the early detection and therapy of severe metabolic diseases such as diabetes”, says Karsten Suhre. “In the future, an identification of genetically determined variations in the metabolism can contribute towards the individual prediction of risk regarding certain diseases, reactions to drug treatment as well as dietary or environmental influences.”

The results from metabolomics research illustrate the physiological effects of specific gene variants. “Metabolomics will help determine health risks for certain diseases in a much more differentiated manner than has been possible thus far with gene analysis – in particular for diseases closely connected with the metabolism”, says Karsten Suhre. Amongst these are common diseases such as diabetes, gout or constriction in the coronary arteries often leading to stroke or heart attack. Suhre: “With this knowledge, patients can be treated in a more targeted manner in future, because their reactions to medication and also the influence of diet and environment can be classified more precisely. Our research results are a first step towards individualised medicine and diet.”