Applicazione della metabolomica basata sulla risonanza magnetica nucleare alla medicina respiratoria

Metabolomics studies the set of endogenous metabolites with a molecular weight < 1500 Dalton (the metabolome), which constitute the end products of biological processes in living systems. Using a combination of analytical and bioinformatics techniques, it records, analyzes and quantifies changes in metabolites in response to any type of exposure: from lifestyle to environmental disturbances, from genetic anomalies to reactions to drugs and therapies. The molecular profile obtained represents a unique "fingerprint" that can provide direct information on a physiological state or on a sequence of events in an organism. Therefore, by selecting an appropriate biomatrix [exhaled air condensate (EBC), urine, serum, plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), saliva or cell and tissue extracts] it is possible to study different aspects of lung diseases.