RESEARCH PRODUCTS Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc. isotope.com Stable Isotope-Labeled Products For Metabolic Research Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc. North America: 1.800.322.1174
[email protected] | International: +1.978.749.8000
[email protected] | fax: 1.978.749.2768 | isotope.com Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc. | Stable Isotope-Labeled Products for Metabolic Research Stable Isotopes in Metabolomics and Metabolism Gary J. Patti Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130 United States Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear comparing two sample groups, for example, an elevated magnetic resonance (NMR) technologies have greatly metabolite level may indicate increased or decreased enhanced metabolite analysis. Hundreds to thousands pathway flux. This is because metabolites can accumulate of metabolites can now be measured simultaneously with not only due to increased production, but also due to unprecedented accuracy from exceedingly small amounts decreased consumption. Yet, the difference between of biological material. These technical developments have increased production and decreased consumption may yield given rise to the field of metabolomics, which generally entirely different experimental interpretations. In a biomedical aims to assess metabolic regulation as a function of health context, for instance, increased production of a metabolite and disease. During the last decade, it has become relatively may suggest pharmacological inhibition of the pathway as a routine to perform metabolomic analysis on most biological therapeutic strategy. Thus, to understand pathway regulation samples. Interpretation of the acquired data, however, and metabolic mechanisms of disease, the application of remains a considerable challenge. Stable isotopes are isotopic tracers is required. providing experimental strategies that overcome some of these barriers.