Metabolomics in the study of retinal health and disease

Metabolomics is the qualitative and quantitative assessment of the metabolites (small molecules < 1.5 kDa) in body fluids. The metabolites are the downstream of the genetic transcription and translation processes and also downstream of the interactions with environmental exposures; thus, they are thought to closely relate to the phenotype, especially for multifactorial diseases. In the last decade, metabolomics has been increasingly used to identify biomarkers in disease, and it is currently recognized as a very powerful tool with great potential for clinical translation. The metabolome and the associated pathways also help improve our understanding of the pathophysiology and mechanisms of disease.