Despite continuous efforts to provide efficient disease diagnosis worldwide, targeted therapy has still not achieved its true potential. Various approaches, such as transcriptomics, proteomics, etc., have resulted in the identification of several biomarkers, but these did not hold enough clinical utility because of the lack of sensitivity and specificity1,2. Targeted therapy is a big challenge in some multifactorial diseases, eventually leading to higher mortality. There is a need for a better understanding of the underlying mechanism and pathophysiology of complex diseases existing with wide heterogeneity. So, in this regard, the evolvement of metabolomics has revolutionized therapeutic development, which eventually may aid in tailoring the treatment regimens for various critical illnesses such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).
Metabolomics is a comprehensive approach aimed at identifying and quantifying small molecular weight molecules (metabolites such as amino acids, lipids, peptides, organic acids, and vitamins) across various biofluids, cells, or tissue extracts. These metabolites, which typically weigh less than 1500 Da, play active roles in biochemical processes, reflecting a progressive outline of the organism's biological state. They include substrates for key enzymatic processes, intermediates in biological pathways, and by-products of cellular metabolism. Consequently, metabolomics captures a detailed fingerprint of dietary influences, drug interactions, and disease states. Metabolite changes are highly sensitive indicators of metabolism and biological pathways, allowing for correlations with phenotypic expressions and resultant pathophysiological abnormalities3,4. Initial variations in metabolites can serve as early indicators of disease severity, while temporal changes may help in monitoring treatment efficacy, disease progression, and clinical outcomes5,6,7. Metabolomics thus enhances clinical assays and various other omics approaches by redefining diseases through clinical, physiological, and biochemical endpoints8,9,10,11,12,13. The analytical capabilities of metabolomics are employed to monitor and determine disease susceptibility through altered metabolite concentrations14,15.
In this context, both mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy have emerged as the primary analytical platforms for metabolite profiling in biological samples. These methods are used for both targeted and untargeted identification and quantification of metabolites16,17,18. Each platform has its advantages and limitations, but the non-destructive nature of NMR makes it preferable in various in vivo studies and for the characterization of the structure of unknown compounds, particularly in the initial stages of metabolomics research. The sample fractionation, derivatization, and ionization required before MS can introduce biases and often result in sample loss, affecting the dynamic features that NMR spectroscopy can capture with minimal or no sample preparation. The primary limitation of NMR is its lower sensitivity compared to MS, which offers a lower limit of detection, making it challenging to detect less abundant metabolites19. However, advancements such as high-resolution superconducting magnets, cryogenically cooled NMR probes, and techniques that enhance sensitivity have mitigated this limitation20,21,22. As a complementary approach to genomics and proteomics, metabolic profiling using NMR spectroscopy is gaining traction as a preferred technique23,24,25. NMR's minimal sample preparation, reproducibility, and repeatability make it a valuable tool for capturing the inherent dynamic features of metabolites despite its sensitivity challenges26.
Several research groups have performed metabolomics successfully, pinpointing the dysregulated metabolic profile of patients for various diseases27 such as ARDS28,29,30,31,32,33, pneumonia34, sepsis7, gallstones35, and pancreatitis36. NMR-based metabolomics studies of critically ill patients have been instrumental in tracking the progression from systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), which is a leading cause of intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and morbidity37. In a study by Stringer et al., plasma samples were used to examine metabolic alterations in patients with sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) compared to control patients38. Key metabolites found elevated in this pilot study reflected the metabolic pathways involved and their association with clinical scores. This research was extended to serum metabolomics to differentiate sepsis from the early stages of lung injury mechanisms in ARDS32. Additionally, another study in ARDS identified potent serum biomarkers that distinctly differentiate between acute lung injury/ARDS and healthy controls, offering insights into systemic metabolic changes corresponding to the acute onset of lung injury39,40.
NMR spectroscopy is a high-throughput and automated analytical technique that delivers robust and unbiased information about the metabolic fingerprint revealing the underlying pathophysiology38. The clinical application and biological interpretation of NMR data hinge on obtaining high-quality spectra that contain rich information. Therefore, ensuring accurate, uniform, and well-formulated data collection, processing, and analysis is crucial. Therefore, the objective of this study is to leverage the essential steps of NMR-based metabolomics for the identification and quantification of metabolites. This study highlights the key steps of the protocol required for clinical metabolomics study (Figure 1), such as the selection of appropriate samples, collection and storage, sample processing and preparation, data acquisition and analysis, identifying and quantifying the metabolite of interest, and eventually, interpretation of the results in a clinical context to derive relevant insights. Each of these steps is essential for leveraging NMR spectroscopy in metabolomics to uncover significant biological and clinical insights.