Combining metabolomics, gut microbiome, and clinical data may help prevent and personalize the treatment of type 2 diabetes

MORRISVILLE, N.C., July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Metabolon, Inc., the global leader in providing metabolomics solutions advancing a wide variety of life science research, diagnostic, therapeutic development, and precision medicine applications, today announced that Metabolon's untargeted metabolomics services were used in a landmark study led by principal investigator Fredrik Bäckhed.  The study, published in Nature Medicine, demonstrates that integrating metabolomics, gut microbiome, and clinical data may help prevent and personalize treatment for type 2 diabetes.

Globally, approximately 537 million adults have diabetes, predominantly type 2, with numbers expected to rise significantly by 2045.  Major risk factors include obesity, physical inactivity, and advancing age.  Type 2 diabetes notably increases the risk of severe complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, and neuropathy. 

The study discovered that type 2 diabetes involves genetic, environmental, and gut microbiome factors.  In two Swedish cohorts (n=1,167), the authors identified over 500 blood metabolites linked to poor glucose control, with about one-third associated with gut bacteria.  The study demonstrates that microbiome–metabolome interactions may contribute to glucose dysregulation and that metabolomics-based models outperform both microbiome data and established clinical risk scores in classifying individuals with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.  Specific microbiome–metabolite interactions may disrupt glucose balance, such as between Hominifimenecus microfluidus, Blautia wexlerae, and hippurate.  Short-term lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) influenced these microbiome-related metabolites.  

"This study shows that metabolic signals from the gut microbiome can reveal early disruptions in glucose control before clinical symptoms emerge," said Fredrik Bäckhed, Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Gothenburg.  "Our findings demonstrate that microbiome-linked metabolic signatures can stratify individuals with impaired glucose control and offer a window into the underlying biology and management of type 2 diabetes."

"Metabolon just announced our new Microbiome Research Solution, which combines advanced metagenomics sequencing, a specialized microbiome metabolite panel, and user-friendly bioinformatics tools to provide deep, integrated insights into microbiome composition and function," said Greg Michelotti, Director of Population Health.  "Fredrik's study shows the power of combining metabolomics with metagenomics.  We are excited that the launch of our one-stop-shop platform will help uncover novel associations between microbes and metabolites."

To learn more about Metabolon's new microbiome research solution, please visit: https://www.metabolon.com/services/untargeted-metabolomics/microbiome-panel/

About Metabolon 
Metabolon, Inc. is the global leader in metabolomics, with a mission to deliver biochemical data and insights that expand and accelerate the impact of life sciences research and complement other 'omics' technologies.  With 25 years of experience, 15,000+ client projects, 4,000+ scientific publication references, and ISO 9001:2015, CLIA, and CAP certifications, Metabolon has developed industry-leading scientific, technology, and bioinformatics techniques.  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.  The company offers scalable, customizable multiomics solutions, including metabolomics and lipidomics, that support customer needs from discovery through clinical trials and product life-cycle management.  For more information, please visit www.metabolon.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Metabolomics
Metabolomics, the large-scale study of all small molecules in a biological system, is the only omics technology that provides a complete current-state functional readout of a biological system.  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. By measuring thousands of discrete chemical signals that form biological pathways in the body, metabolomics can reveal important biomarkers, enabling a better understanding of a drug's mechanism of action, pharmacodynamics, and safety profile, as well as individual responses to therapy.