Metabolomics Technology Applied to Novel Toxicology Research

The paper, titled “Effects of Mainstream Cigarette Smoke on the Global Metabolome of Human Lung Epithelial Cells”, describes the first research study to apply global biochemical profiling to help researchers better understand cellular changes associated with cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 identified compounds, all in different classes, which makes understanding its cellular impact very complex.

“Metabolon’s technology has been applied to a wide variety of different industries and research areas—many seeking to understand incredibly complex systems,” explained Michael Milburn, chief scientific officer with Metabolon. “In this study, for example, we were able to create a better understanding of cigarette smoke effects on lung epithelial cells.”

The study results, published in the January 22, 2009 issue of Chemical Research in Toxicology, described the use of global biochemical profiling in the study:

“Many of the changed biochemicals were previously reported to be altered by cigarette exposure, but the global metabolomic approach offers the advantage of observing changes to hundreds of biochemicals in a single experiment and the possibility for new discoveries. The metabolomic approach may thus be used as a screening tool to evaluate conventional and novel tobacco products offering the potential to reduce risks of smoking.”