Ikuspegi analitikoak metabolomikan eta lipidomikan: teknologiak, erronkak eta etorkizuneko perspektibak: Analytical approaches in metabolomics and lipidomics: technologies, challenges, and future perspectives

Abstract

Omics sciences have transformed biomedical research by enabling the comprehensive characterization of biological systems through the coordinated analysis of genes, RNA, proteins, and metabolites. Among them, metabolomics stands out due to its close relationship with the phenotype. Metabolites directly reflect the functional state of the cell and respond sensitively to genetic and environmental changes, making them highly valuable clinical biomarkers. Within this field, lipidomics has also emerged as a fundamental subdiscipline focused on the study of lipids. Lipids are key molecules in structural, energetic, and signalling processes and are closely associated with several pathologies. The advancement of metabolomics and lipidomics has been driven by the development of analytical techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS), often coupled with separation methods such as liquid chromatography (LC), gas chromatography (GC), or capillary electrophoresis (CE). While NMR offers high reproducibility and non-destructive analysis, MS stands out for its high sensitivity and its ability to detect compounds at very low concentrations. These technologies allow the distinction between untargeted strategies, aimed at biomarker discovery, and targeted strategies focused on the quantification of specific compounds. Due to the vast chemical diversity of the metabolome, no single technique can cover all metabolites, making multiplatform approaches necessary. In this context, the combination of complementary techniques improves the reliability of the results. Future technological advancements are expected to enhance sensitivity, robustness, and high-throughput capabilities, facilitating the identification and validation of new biomarkers in clinical studies.