E-Thesis 291 views 733 downloads
Exploring metabolomic biomarkers using mass spectrometry techniques / KATHRYN COATES
Swansea University Author: KATHRYN COATES
DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUthesis.69791
Abstract
Mass spectrometry based metabolomic approaches prove an excellent source for biomarker discovery through their ability to seek out robust and unique disease signatures in a fast, accurate and high throughput manner whilst delivering a great deal of sensitivity and biological detail from a broad rang...
| Published: |
Swansea, Wales, UK
2025
|
|---|---|
| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Doctoral |
| Degree name: | Ph.D |
| Supervisor: | Dudley, Ed ; Thornton, Catherine |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69791 |
| Abstract: |
Mass spectrometry based metabolomic approaches prove an excellent source for biomarker discovery through their ability to seek out robust and unique disease signatures in a fast, accurate and high throughput manner whilst delivering a great deal of sensitivity and biological detail from a broad range of sample source. This study has identified a number of unique and novel biological signatures to improve diagnosis/ metabolic pathway understanding for a broad range of conditions. Chapter 2- Pancreatic cancer is a disease that occludes diagnosis through its lack of unique symptomatic presentation in patients leading to late-stage diagnosis, and low survival rates. This chapter successfully identifies novel metabolites capable of distinguishing pancreatic cancer from healthy and pancreatitis conditions using both internally held metabolites and externally excreted modified nucleosides for both diagnosis and screening potential. Further experimental analysis using SILAC to trace glucose and glutamine use by cancerous and healthy cells has been used to elucidate differences in energy resource utilisation. Chapter 3- Looks at the development of a metabolomic analysis capable of distinguishing various serum-based conditions from each other as well as analysing metabolic profile changes between males, females (pregnant and non-pregnant) and cord samples to establish key profile changes that occur in pregnancy as well as establishing how these changes may be conveyed in breast-milk production to further support baby development after birth. Chapter 4- Captures faecal markers capable of distinguishing successfully from unsuccessfully reproducing captive elephant, seeking diagnostic and explanatory, indicating potential upstream mis-regulations that could be causative of the ailment, markers aiding to potential treatments or future preventions to aid reproduction. Chapter 5- Evaluates drosophila fly as a suitable model for future neurological studies including Alzheimer’s disease. This study has successfully identified numerous lipids, including plasmalogens, in fly heads that make them a suitable candidate in future studies as well as showing the lipidomic changes resultant of disrupted metabolic pathways associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Chapter 6- Establishes the relationship between taurine consumption and exercise performance relating to thermoregulation, through detecting and analysing taurine’s presence in plasma samples taken before and after exercise periods. |
|---|---|
| Keywords: |
Mass spectrometry, GC-MS, MALDI, Shotgun lipidomics, Orbitrap, HPLC, UPLC, biomarkers, metabolomics, cell culture, heavy metabolite tracing, fertility, cancer, serum, plasma, urine, faeces, drosophila, Alzheimer’s, plasmalogens, Taurine, Lipids, amino acids, modified nucleosides, thermoregulation |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |