Is SB203580 Actually Worth The Dough?

g. determining the role of Th2 pathways in obesity-related asthma or the response to corticosteroids in a pediatric cohort). This necessarily biases an after-the-fact metabolomics study toward the original question selleck being asked and, because sample numbers are often limited, does not enable the exploration of broader questions. For example, while Ibriham was able to examine neutrophilic and eosinophilic phenotypes, the authors were not able to explore questions regarding the role of T-helper pathways, atopy, or paucigranulocytic phenotypes [17]. Inclusion of metabolomics researchers and basic immunologists at study inception would greatly expand the potential for knowledge gained by large-scale clinical studies. In spite of these challenges, progress Alizarin continues to be made, and Ibriham and others have developed tools that can be potentially used to differentiate between asthmatics and nonasthmatics. To date, no tool exists that can distinguish between the myriad of asthmatic phenotypes, highlighting the multifactorial nature and overall complexity of asthma and emphasizing the need for not only multiplex tests but also multiple platforms of discovery. While NMR has relatively poor sensitivity and specificity compared with LC-MS, it is nondestructive and high throughput. NMR can be used to quantitate a limited number of molecules (SB203580 nmr to 4000 small molecules in plasma alone [18]. However, positive identification of metabolites remains a challenge in LC-MS-based metabolomics, and statistical analysis of multidimensional data is still evolving for both fields. LC-MS has already been shown to be a powerful clinical laboratory tool, and there is great potential for NMR in the clinical laboratory; however, the power of these technologies may lie not only in the potential for biomarker discovery, but also in the fact that they are complementary. Following the use of NMR to determine differences, LC-MS can be used to specifically identify many of the compounds detected, adding important mechanistic information. In addition to technical challenges, the dynamic interplay between genes, proteins, and metabolites in the context of environmental stimuli cannot be understood using a single platform. The state of the asthmatic lung is also variable, due to differential medication use or factors such as pollution, allergens, and the presence of bacteria or viruses. It is unclear whether a single sampling is sufficient to capture the overall disease state or whether repeated measures will be required. Therefore, well-designed biomarker discovery studies will require longitudinal samples, preferably with data before and after treatment.