The China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) has partnered with Metabolon, Inc to better understand how factors like lifestyle, environment, social conditions, and genetics influence common diseases. This major new study will use Metabolon’s Global Discovery Panel™ to analyse blood samples from 4,000 participants.
CKB is one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive health studies, involving over half a million people across China. It was established between 2004 and 2008 by the University of Oxford and various partners in China over time, including Peking University.
Many clinical trials and population health studies have focused on white European participants. This partnership addresses the need to study other populations to improve our understanding of a wide range of common diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
The study will begin with analysis of over 5,000 metabolites (small molecules) from 4,000 samples that are already linked to other types of biological data, such as genetic and proteomics information. These combined datasets will allow researchers to explore complex questions about disease development and treatment.
The work is funded chiefly by a departmental pump priming grant, led by Associate Professor Huaidong Du, who said ‘We are excited by the opportunity to use Metabolon's Global Discovery Panel™ to help address many unanswered and complex research questions about the causes of cardiometabolic diseases. The study will provide critical evidence to inform larger-scale metabolomics research in CKB and other large cohort studies.’
Metabolomics is the study of small molecules in the body that reflect how it is functioning at present. Metabolomics helps researchers see beyond the genetic variation of individuals, capturing the combined impact of genetic and external factors such as the effect of drugs, diet, lifestyle, and the microbiome, on human health.
Metabolon's Global Discovery Panel is powered by the world's largest proprietary metabolomics reference library. Metabolon's industry-leading data and translational science expertise help customers and partners address some of the most challenging and pressing questions in the life sciences, accelerating research and enhancing development success.