One of the research directions of our institute is the utilization of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for the analysis of small molecules in biological matrices. This method is called NMR metabolomics and the research is performed by a team led by Dr. Sýkora. Using 1H NMR analysis of blood samples, it is possible to capture the concentration changes of individual metabolites caused by various diseases. Multidimensional statistics can then clearly distinguish samples of patients from samples of healthy individuals. In a pilot study, it was possible to distinguish patients with pancreatic cancer from control individuals based on the profiles of approximately 60 metabolites. These results clearly demonstrated the potential that 1H NMR spectroscopy offers for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
In a subsequent study, the focus was aimed at the detection of pancreatic cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients with newly diagnosed diabetes are at high risk of pancreatic cancer development. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is often confused with so-called pancreatogenic diabetes, which is considered the first manifestation of pancreatic cancer by some experts. Therefore, the further work of the team was aimed at the discrimination of patients with cancer from those with diabetes. Successful discrimination subsequently allowed creation of a predictive model for classification of new diabetics according to the probability of future pancreatic cancer development or turning into stable type 2 diabetics. This work was recently published in the Journal of Proteome Research. In total, 59 blood plasma samples of newly diagnosed diabetics were analysed. Six samples were determined to have 80% probability of developing pancreatic cancer. Subsequent medical examinations of the current condition of these patients showed changes in the pancreas pathology in four cases. In one case, cancer was directly diagnosed, in three other cases, the formation of dangerous lesions was detected, which are considered to be its first manifestations. This work was done in cooperation with the Military University Hospital and the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague.
