image: Caption: (L — R) NUS Medicine Associate Professor Hyungwon Choi, NUS Medicine Professor Roger Foo (Vice-Dean Research), Duke-NUS and NUS Medicine Assistant Professor Federico Torta, Duke-NUS Professor Patrick Tan (Senior Vice-Dean Research) and Duke-NUS Professor Yibin Wang, key supporters and members of the collaborative research initiative Systems Metabolomics Centre (SysMeC) between Duke-NUS and NUS, officially launched on 27 February.
Credit: Duke-NUS Medical School
In a strategic move for medical research and innovation, Duke-NUS Medical School and the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) have launched the Systems Metabolomics Centre (SysMeC), their first-ever joint research centre. This groundbreaking initiative is set to drive cutting-edge metabolomics research, unlocking new ways to detect diseases earlier and tailor treatments for better patient outcomes using precision medicine.
By studying cells, tissues and whole organisms using metabolomics – the large-scale study of small molecules known as metabolites – scientists can gain a deeper understanding of how diseases develop and find ways to stop them before they start. From complex metabolic diseases, like diabetes, to single-gene disorders, metabolomics holds a key to shaping precision medicine.
By leveraging state-of-the-art metabolomic technologies spread over 600 sqm over two sites, SysMeC will focus on three key areas:
- Enhancing large-scale population studies to uncover metabolic signatures linked to heart disease, diabetes, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
- Driving fundamental scientific discoveries that improve our understanding of metabolism and its role in health and disease.
- Accelerating the development of new technologies by fostering collaborations between leading researchers, clinicians and industry partners to create world-class analytical tools.
It will provide metabolomics expertise to large patient cohort studies that focus on profiling populations of healthy people and those living with specific illnesses, including collaborative projects such as DYNAMO (OF-LCG) and RESET as well as the national clinical translational programme CADENCE.
The joint centre is coordinated by Assistant Professor Federico Torta, who holds a joint appointment with Duke-NUS and NUS Medicine (full bio is provided in Annex A), and shared:
“By bringing existing expertise and a range of state-of-the-art equipment under one roof, we strive to become a centre of excellence shaping the field of metabolomics research and partner of choice for scientists seeking to transform medical research into real-world treatments.”
First projects: Ultra-fast disease detection and advanced metabolic insights
SysMeC is kicking off with a pioneering project that could improve the way cardiometabolic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and kidney disorders are diagnosed and monitored in the local population in Singapore. Mass spectrometry, the technique that can identify and quantify small and big molecules, is a cornerstone at SysMeC. This technique revealed that cells carry numerous ceramide varieties, which may be better predictors of cardiovascular problems than cholesterol and other conventional biochemistry tests.
Besides their important role in the skin, where they help maintain a protective layer, ceramides influence many cellular functions. But when high levels of ceramides accumulate in the body, they can infiltrate the lining of blood vessels contributing to atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of arteries. Some ceramides can also promote insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes and other conditions.
When measured by mass spectrometry, blood ceramides accurately stratify risk groups for cardiovascular outcomes (better than LDL-cholesterol). The ongoing project at SysMeC will make use of an ultra-fast method to measure ceramides from human blood in just a few seconds, making it possible to test their utility in monitoring Singaporean populations.
Other projects rotate around the use of a new metabolomic approach called fluxomics, that measures the rates of metabolic activity, such as the movement of metabolites in and out of mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells. Metabolic reaction rates, also known as metabolic fluxes, more accurately reflect cellular activity.
Fluxomics measured by mass spectrometry has great potential in elucidating the importance of cell metabolism in stem cell differentiation, rare inherited metabolic disorders and diseases related to metabolic dysfunction such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
Professor Patrick Tan, Senior Vice-Dean for Research at Duke-NUS, underscored the significance of this collaboration:
“Metabolomics is a game-changer in our quest to bring precision medicine to patients. There’s still so much we don’t understand about how subtle chemical changes in our bodies influence disease. But by combining the strengths of Duke-NUS and NUS Medicine, we are poised to take a global leadership role in this transformative field. Together, we can develop non-invasive tests, detect diseases earlier and guide doctors towards the most effective treatments for each individual.”
“The Systems Metabolomics Centre is set to drive biomarker discovery and metabolism research in Singapore’s rapidly evolving and dynamic research ecosystem. Through this joint collaboration, we aspire to create an exemplary model for future collaborations and a hub for industry engagement, bringing cutting-edge analytical platforms to researchers, clinicians, and innovators across the region. The potential extends far beyond metabolic diseases—SysMeC is poised to make a transformative impact across multiple domains of biomedical research,” added Professor Roger Foo, Vice Dean of Research at NUS Medicine.
With the launch of SysMeC, Singapore is setting the stage for a new era in precision medicine, leveraging cutting-edge metabolomics research to transform disease detection, treatment and prevention on a global scale.