Metabolomics News and Research

Latest Metabolomics News and Research

Gut microbe molecules linked to coronary heart disease risk

In a study involving data from thousands of people, the risk of a new coronary heart disease diagnosis was statistically associated with bloodstream levels of nine specific molecules that are produced by gut microbes.

17 Mar 2026

Vaginal microbiome may play key role in pregnancy health and preterm birth risk, researchers say

Researchers reviewed evidence linking the vaginal microbiome to pregnancy health and spontaneous preterm birth, highlighting how Lactobacillus-dominated communities help maintain immune balance and vaginal acidity. Dysbiosis and inflammatory signaling may contribute to preterm birth risk, while emerging microbiome-targeted therapies aim to restore protective microbial ecosystems.

15 Mar 2026

Swapping red meat for plant-based meat rapidly lowers a key heart risk metabolite, trial finds

A randomized crossover trial found that replacing red meat patties with processed plant-based meat alternatives for six days significantly lowered circulating trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut-derived metabolite linked to cardiovascular risk. The plant-based phase also produced modest reductions in cholesterol markers but slightly increased weight and NT-proBNP, possibly due to higher sodium intake.

12 Mar 2026

Gut microbes may drive memory decline during aging by disrupting vagal brain signaling

Researchers identified in mice a microbiome–gut–brain pathway in which age-associated changes in gut microbes increase medium-chain fatty acids that impair vagal sensory signaling and hippocampal activity. These interoceptive disruptions weaken memory formation, revealing a microbial mechanism that contributes to cognitive decline during aging.

12 Mar 2026

New review calls for biologically grounded approach to psychiatric diagnosis

A comprehensive invited review published today in Brain Medicine confronts one of the most persistent paradoxes in modern medicine: psychiatry remains the only major clinical discipline that diagnoses complex illness primarily through conversation and symptom checklists, while fields such as oncology and cardiology long ago embraced laboratory markers, imaging, and molecular profiling.

10 Mar 2026

Specific gut bacteria may signal long-term risk of heart and metabolic disease

Researchers analyzed gut microbiome profiles from 4,792 adults in the HELIUS cohort and tracked cardiometabolic outcomes over time to determine whether specific microbes predict disease risk. Certain microbes were linked to higher or lower cardiovascular risk, while plant-derived microbial metabolites suggested potential diet–microbiome interactions influencing heart health.

9 Mar 2026

Microbial ecosystems influence success of cancer checkpoint immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 have revolutionized cancer therapy, delivering long-term survival benefits in several malignancies.

9 Mar 2026

BCAT2 enzyme identified as a target for diabetic foot recovery

Diabetic macrovascular complications are the main cause of death and disability in diabetes patients, of which vascular calcification is one of the key pathological mechanisms. Calcification in atherosclerotic plaque can cause stiffness and decreased compliance of the vascular wall, and induce atherosclerotic plaque rupture, which increases the risk of acute cardiovascular events.

6 Mar 2026

Periodontal bacteria trigger bone density reduction via the gut

Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the gums, affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and is increasingly linked to systemic disorders beyond the oral cavity.

4 Mar 2026

New research initiative aims to predict and prevent diseases before they start

What if doctors could tell you a disease was coming years before you felt a single symptom-and stop it in its tracks? That is the goal of a sweeping new research initiative launched by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in collaboration with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine (HJF).

2 Mar 2026

Chemical signatures in blood could help detect gallbladder cancer

Researchers at Tezpur University in Assam, India, working with scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, have identified distinct chemical signatures in blood that could help detect gallbladder cancer earlier.

25 Feb 2026

Nutri-Score labeling system fails to reflect nutritional complexity of cocoa

Researchers at the University of Granada have revealed that the Nutri-Score labeling system, commonly used in Europe to assess food quality, is unable to adequately reflect the nutritional and metabolic complexity of soluble cocoa sold in Spain.

24 Feb 2026

ARPA-H-funded PROSPR program focuses on the biological hallmarks of aging

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health has received an award as part of the PROactive Solutions for Prolonging Resilience (PROSPR) program within the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to accelerate research on the biological hallmarks of aging.

24 Feb 2026