While metabolomics is the large-scale comprehensive profiling of metabolites and other small molecules in the context of health and disease, synthetic biology is essentially a way to redesign organisms by manipulating their genetic blueprint to develop new systems with evolved phenotypes and performance, which is otherwise not possible naturally. Synthetic biology uses a multidisciplinary approach to address its objectives.
Oncogenic transformation is often associated with profound changes in cellular phenotype and the signaling circuitry, leading to an altered cellular state. This is usually orchestrated by genomic and epigenomic changes, the landscape of which is fine-tuned by several metabolic alterations. Cancer cells are well established to have an altered metabolic profile, much of which is known as the Warburg effect. Besides this, certain oncometabolites are produced in abnormal amounts in cancer. The oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG) derived from the TCA cycle intermediate a-ketoglutarate is otherwise in limited quantity in normal tissues but is present at higher concentrations in cancer cells due to isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 or 2 (IDH1 or IDH2) gene mutation. It will be interesting to explore how the principles of synthetic biology may be exploited to design and engineer organisms to dissect the role of these onco-metabolites in oncogenic transformation. In this special issue, we invite original research, reviews, and short commentaries interrogating the applications of synthetic biology and metabolomics in Oncology research, both from a mechanistic as well as clinical viewpoint.
Synthetic biology and metabolomics are two cutting-edge fields that have the potential to revolutionize oncology research by providing novel insights into cancer biology, diagnosis, and treatment at the interface of Personalised medicine, Metalobolomics, Drug discovery and development, and novel biomarkers. Synthetic biology operates within a systems biology framework, integrating data from multiple sources to create comprehensive models of cancer biology. This holistic approach helps uncover complex interactions within cancer systems. In summary, synthetic biology and metabolomics are potent tools that complement each other in oncology research. Together, they offer new avenues for understanding cancer biology, developing personalized therapies, and advancing our ability to diagnose and treat cancer effectively. These interdisciplinary approaches hold great promise in the ongoing battle against cancer.
With this framework in mind, we invite articles covering different aspects of synthetic biology addressing methodology to researchers to engineer biological systems to mimic cancer processes, aiding in understanding oncogenic mechanisms and creating synthetic models that replicate cancer-related genetic mutations and signaling pathways. Also, topics covering the role of synthetic biology in accelerating drug discovery and characterizing the metabolic impact of drugs on cancer cells are welcome. Articles addressing metabolomics data along with other omics data to build systems-level cancer metabolism and signaling pathways models, which may facilitate our understanding of cancer biology, will be considered in this special issue.
While metabolomics is the large-scale comprehensive profiling of metabolites and other small molecules in the context of health and disease, synthetic biology is essentially a way to redesign organisms by manipulating their genetic blueprint to develop new systems with evolved phenotypes and performance, which is otherwise not possible naturally. Synthetic biology uses a multidisciplinary approach to address its objectives.
Oncogenic transformation is often associated with profound changes in cellular phenotype and the signaling circuitry, leading to an altered cellular state. This is usually orchestrated by genomic and epigenomic changes, the landscape of which is fine-tuned by several metabolic alterations. Cancer cells are well established to have an altered metabolic profile, much of which is known as the Warburg effect. Besides this, certain oncometabolites are produced in abnormal amounts in cancer. The oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG) derived from the TCA cycle intermediate a-ketoglutarate is otherwise in limited quantity in normal tissues but is present at higher concentrations in cancer cells due to isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 or 2 (IDH1 or IDH2) gene mutation. It will be interesting to explore how the principles of synthetic biology may be exploited to design and engineer organisms to dissect the role of these onco-metabolites in oncogenic transformation. In this special issue, we invite original research, reviews, and short commentaries interrogating the applications of synthetic biology and metabolomics in Oncology research, both from a mechanistic as well as clinical viewpoint.
Synthetic biology and metabolomics are two cutting-edge fields that have the potential to revolutionize oncology research by providing novel insights into cancer biology, diagnosis, and treatment at the interface of Personalised medicine, Metalobolomics, Drug discovery and development, and novel biomarkers. Synthetic biology operates within a systems biology framework, integrating data from multiple sources to create comprehensive models of cancer biology. This holistic approach helps uncover complex interactions within cancer systems. In summary, synthetic biology and metabolomics are potent tools that complement each other in oncology research. Together, they offer new avenues for understanding cancer biology, developing personalized therapies, and advancing our ability to diagnose and treat cancer effectively. These interdisciplinary approaches hold great promise in the ongoing battle against cancer.
With this framework in mind, we invite articles covering different aspects of synthetic biology addressing methodology to researchers to engineer biological systems to mimic cancer processes, aiding in understanding oncogenic mechanisms and creating synthetic models that replicate cancer-related genetic mutations and signaling pathways. Also, topics covering the role of synthetic biology in accelerating drug discovery and characterizing the metabolic impact of drugs on cancer cells are welcome. Articles addressing metabolomics data along with other omics data to build systems-level cancer metabolism and signaling pathways models, which may facilitate our understanding of cancer biology, will be considered in this special issue.