Metabolomics in Chronic Kidney Diseases: Here to Stay

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects around 13% of the adult population, has become a considerable concern worldwide, and is characterized by inadequate renal clearance, resulting in the accumulation of various potential toxic compounds. Metabolomics, one of the many important parts of “omics” science, refers to the systematic study of metabolites in a living system and their changes because of pathophysiological and genetic modifications. The use of metabolomics in the nephrology field of research has offered a better understanding of the pathomechanisms of CKD. The most recent technologies used for the evaluation of plasma and urinary metabolites are nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy (MS). A major research direction of modern medicine is to develop new therapies and new biomarkers for the early diagnosis of patients with CKD. Experimental studies of renal metabolism unequivocally demonstrated that kidney function has a huge impact on several circulating metabolites. Moreover, metabolites themselves appear to have an essential role in CKD pathogenesis/complications, being recognized as potential biomarkers with prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic value for the disease. The present paper provides a bird’s eye view on metabolomics and a summary of the most recent studies of metabolomics carried out in patients with CKD.