Novel Metabolic Breathalyzer Developed for Early Disease Detection

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison have developed a new way to detect early signs of disease such as cancer, obesity, or diabetes. Metabolomics is the study of small molecule signatures. Many diseases alter the body's metabolism in distinctive ways. These changes can be detected even at the early stages of a disease. These researchers conducted a study of mice with an endocrine disorder similar to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS affects approximately 1 in 10 women and can cause infertility, ovarian cysts, and metabolic dysfunction. Unfortunately, this disease can only be diagnosed after puberty and after all other likely diseases have been ruled out. In their study, mice were injected with a carbon-13 isotope that could be traced through metabolic pathways and detected after exhalation by their "breathalyzer". The researchers were able to detect very small metabolic changes by measuring the isotopic signatures of the carbon-containing metabolic byproducts in the blood or breath. Within minutes, the researchers were able to diagnose the sick mice. This technology relies on the fact that the body changes its fuel sources when going from a healthy state to a diseased state. "When we're healthy, we use the food that we eat. When we get sick, the immune system takes over the body and starts tearing apart proteins to make antibodies and use them as an energy source," says Warren Porter, a UW-Madison professor of zoology. This new way of diagnosing a disease is not only non-invasive, but also cheaper and faster.

http://www.biomedicalblog.com/metabolic-breathalyzer-for-early-disease-detection/153700/