Targeted Assays

Central metabolism, which includes bioenergetics and protein / nucleotide turnover is involved in most cellular systems, and therefore is regarded as core to understanding systems biology. Recent research has revealed the importance of primary metabolism in several areas including oncology, stem cell biology, bioprocessing etc.

Targeted Assays

By using our high sensitivity CE-MS technology, we provide accurate measurements of central metabolism with absolute quantitation.

The analysis report includes multivariate analysis, metabolic pathway mapping and absolute quantitation based biochemical parameters, which enable the easy monitoring of intracellular metabolic status. Our technology is central to the elucidation of metabolic based drug mechanisms of action.

C-SCOPE / CARCINOSCOPE – Absolute Quantitative Analysis of Energy Metabolism

Central carbon metabolism uses a complex series of enzymatic steps to convert sugars (e.g. glucose) into metabolic precursors. These precursors are then used to generate the entire biomass of the cell (e.g. protein, steroids, lipids). There are 12 precursor metabolites that form the basis for biomass and one precursor essential for the positive net ATP balance in glycolysis. Central carbon metabolism is essential for cancer cell proliferation and survival. Cancer cells have significant heterogeneity in glucose metabolism. Most cancer cells rely largely on aerobic glycolysis as it accounts for 56–63% of their ATP budget. So, cancer cells plunder more glucose from microenvironment and secrete more lactic acid to meet requirement of energy and material metabolism. Linked to this glycolytic pathway is the pentose phosphate pathway leading to nucleic acid synthesis.
One of the end products of central carbon metabolism, pyruvate, is central energy metabolism, or the TCA cycle. The tricarboxylic acid cycle (or Krebs cycle) is the central metabolic pathway that links together carbohydrate, amino acid, and fatty acid degradation and supplies precursors for various biosynthetic pathways including NAHD and FADH2 to the electron transport chain in normal cells who rely primarily on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to generate ATP for energy.
These pathways are core to understanding mitochondrial dysfunction, cancer and cell proliferation. Central carbon metabolism, central energy metabolism and the pentose phosphate pathway include many phosphorylated sugars, positional isomers and charged polar species, thus have become a challenge to measure.

Our unique CE-MS technology is the only platform to provide accurate quantitative measurement for such intracellular intermediates. With absolute quantitation of 116 target metabolites engaged in central metabolism, Carcinoscope or C-SCOPE provides basic biochemical parameters which enable researchers to better understand cellular status such as bioenergetics, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function covering the glycolytic pathway, pentose phosphate pathway, TCA cycle, urea cycle and glutathione metabolism.

This package is a high-value tool for the investigation of metabolism of cancer and other metabolic diseases.

List of 116 targeted metabolites

  • 116 target metabolites involved in sugar, protein, DNA/RNA and lipid metabolism View PDF 
  • 30 biochemical parameters monitoring intracellular status View PDF 
  • Absolute quantitation with pathway mapping and multivalent analyses

F-SCOPE– 13C Isotope Labeling Analysis

The determination of metabolic flux is a critical component of metabolism research, however, in the past it has been difficult extracting meaningful data due to lags in technology development.
HMT provides quantitative isotopic studies using CE-MS technology for a deeper understanding of intracellular metabolic flux.
By using multiple labeled substrates, such as glucose or glutamine, we can effectively provide a clear picture of central energy metabolism.
Together with our experiences in medical and healthcare research, this package is your first step for the estimation of metabolic flux.

List of F-Scope targeted metabolites

  • 54 target metabolite involved in glycolysis, TCA cycle, PPP and amino acid turnover PDF
  • Absolute quantitation and distribution of labeled isotopmers
  • Assist of study design and data interpretation

OMEGA-Q353 – Absolute Quantitation of 353 polar metabolites

The Q353 option covers all of the glycolytic, TCA and pentose phosphate metabolites in CARCINOSCOPE, plus many others. While CARCINOSCOPE focuses on central carbon and energy metabolism, Q353 expands the quantitative coverage to many other pathways involved in amino acid metabolism, immune response, transmethylation and transsulfuration pathway. The targeted Q353 panel can be added to any CE-MS polar metabolite untargeted platform: Basic Scan, OMEGA Scan or Dual Scan.

  • 353 target metabolites involved in sugar, protein, DNA/RNA and lipid metabolism View PDF 
  • Absolute quantitation
  • Example of Q353 on human plasma (coming soon!)
Back to Top