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Owlstone Medical - VOC Biomarkers
The measurement of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by the body`s metabolic activity is a powerful approach for health monitoring and disease detection. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gaseous molecules that can be sampled quickly and non-invasively from breath with Breath Biopsy®. They can originate either from within the body (endogenous VOCs) or from external sources such as diet, prescription drugs and environmental exposure (exogenous VOCs). Studies have identified over 1,000 VOCs that can be found on breath, alongside respiratory droplets they provide a rich source of information regarding overall health and have great potential as indicators of disease onset and progression.
Endogenous VOCs are products of metabolic activity in the body and changes to these VOCs can be characteristic of specific disease processes. Exogenous VOCs in breath can also be used to assess drug metabolism, or to measure exposure to potentially harmful compounds in the environment, such as benzene. Most recently we have developed exogenous VOC (EVOC®) Probes that can be administered in conjunction with a breath test to assess the activity of target metabolic pathways.
Endogenous volatile organic compounds are produced throughout the body and are picked up and distributed in the bloodstream. From the blood they exchange into air in the lungs and are then exhaled along with respiratory droplets and atmospheric gases. Exhaled VOCs provide a source of useful biomarkers with clear associations to the body`s metabolism.
Breath Biopsy enables non-invasive collection and analysis of VOC biomarkers from breath. It takes roughly 1 minute for blood to flow around the entire circulatory system. By sampling breath for a minute or longer, even very low levels of VOC biomarkers from all parts of the body can be pre-concentrated, detected and identified. It’s easy to increase sensitivity to aid in detecting subtle changes during the very early stages of disease simply by extending sample collection time.
- Your lungs are very effective at exchanging chemicals with your blood, including volatile metabolites and biomarkers that are generated even in the earliest stages of disease.
- It takes ~1 minute for your blood volume to circle around your body once.
- By continuosuly preconcentrating exhaled chemicals we can sample and analyze the entire circulating blood volume.
- This is completely non-invasive and pain free.
Exogenous volatile organic compounds have a broader range of origins and have largely been overlooked as environmental contaminants in biological samples. More recently however, exogenous VOCs have become of increasing interest as many of them interact with biological systems and can also provide valuable information relevant to health and disease. For example, exogenous VOCs produced from the gut microbiome can be key health indicators.
We have further harnessed the power of exogenous VOCs as EVOC Probes. Many exogenous VOCs are processed within the body by core metabolic pathways, which are also often involved in drug metabolism. By administering EVOC Probes, we can assess the activity of these pathways, which may be relevant in treatment selection and precision medicine.