IBD is a common chronic gastrointestinal disorder and current treatment strategies can cause adverse effects. Thus, there is a need to identify alternative compounds to treat IBD. Similarly, the dose-related toxicity and efficacy of anticancer drugs needs to be monitored accurately to improve the treatment outcomes. Moreover, over the years, plant-based therapeutic compounds and traditional Chinese medicine formulas have gained attention for their enhanced healing effects and are promising for various treatment regimens.
The recent issue of the JPA, published in February 2024, addresses these issues in three different studies, respectively, and highlights the role of metabolomics in pharmaceutical research in all of them.
The first study delves into the identification and extraction of a plant-based, acidic polysaccharide named SUSP-4 from Selaginella uncinata (Desv.) Spring, a scrawling herb also known as peacock moss. This article was available online on 10 August 2023 and published in Volume 14, Issue 2 of JPA. In the study, the phytocompound SUSP-4 was found to significantly improve the symptoms of IBD, such as low body weight and high disease activity index, during animal experiments. Genetic sequencing studies revealed that SUSP-4 altered the gut microbial composition and downregulated the levels of Akkermansia, a bacterium commonly found in the human gut. Additionally, SUSP-4 inhibited the immune response of macrophage activation by altering the chemokine levels in treated animals.
The plant polysaccharide ultimately affected the thiamine metabolic pathway and protected against IBD. The corresponding author Dr. Jinyong Peng states, "Our research found that IBD reduces the level of vitamin B1 (thiamine), which itself has an inhibitory effect on inflammation, so a moderate supplementation of vitamin B1 may go a long way towards preventing IBD in people."
In the second study, scientists employed spatiotemporal metabolomics to closely monitor the administration of chemotherapeutic drug oxaliplatin in animal models. They used biocompatible microprobes to gather information about the efficacy and dose-related toxicity of the drug, which was locally administered through an in vivo lung perfusion method. The results of the metabolomic analysis revealed the extent of injury caused by the drug and provided a total of 139 specific compounds that indicated acute lung injury. The article was available online on 09 August 2023 and published in Volume 14, Issue 2 of JPA. According to the corresponding author, Prof. Janusz Pawliszyn, "This study describing the unique analytical protocol might be a starting point for future developments of tools that could be applied to prognosticate the patient's pathological response to the selected chemotherapy treatment."
In the third study, researchers studied diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), a condition where the blood vessels and nerves are damaged due to improperly regulated metabolic pathways. They specifically targeted carbohydrate metabolism and developed a metabolomics approach using a high-performance ion chromatography technique and studied DPN in rats and humans. The researchers found that JinMaiTong (JMT), a traditional Chinese medicine supplement, was effective in treating DPN. Furthermore, metabolomics analysis revealed that JMT induces the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and other downstream proteins involved in energy profile regulation. The article was available online on 21 September 2023 and published in Volume 14, Issue 2 of JPA. The corresponding author Prof. Xiaochun Liang concludes, "Our study proved the TCM formula JMT improved the neurological functions and attenuated the pathological damages of peripheral nerve in the progress phase of DPN rats. In-vivo and in-vitro studies demonstrated that the neuroprotective capacities of JMT should be attributed to the improved energy status with the vital role of the activated AMPK signaling, which is crucial for a better understanding of the clinical effect of JMT and proposes a promising treatment strategy for DPN for decades."
Overall, these articles together underscore the importance of plant-based alternatives for disease treatment, as well as of advanced diagnostic tools through the development of metabolomics.
