Metabolon Teams with Georgia Firm, VA on Study of Genes, Health in Veterans

Metabolon logoMorrisville-based Metabolon, a metabolomics company, will analyze biomarkers of wellness and disease in U.S. veterans through the Million Veteran Program (MVP) of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Metabolon said in a news release it will perform large-scale metabolomics profiling on biological samples from veterans using its Precision Metabolomics technology. Data from the work will become part of the MVP's extensive database of genetic, military and environmental exposure, lifestyle, and health information.

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center provided funding support to Metabolon in 2010 and 2011 to provide a postdoctoral fellow to help the company commercialize its technologies.

Metabolon contracted with the VA through its new strategic partnership with AKESOgen Inc., a Georgia-based genomics services company that is providing genotyping for the MVP and has genotyped over 300,000 samples since 2014 for the VA. AKESOgen offers multi-omics services to academia, the pharmaceutical industry and government and will now offer metabolomics to its clients through Metabolon.

Genomics and metabolomics merge to provide holistic view

"Metabolon provides data of the highest quality, which is what AKESOgen is all about,” said Robert Boisjoli, CEO of AKESOgen. “The marriage of genomics and metabolomics will provide an overall holistic view of health that is critical for our veterans.”

Launched in 2011, MVP is a landmark research effort aimed at better understanding how genes affect health. Up to a million veterans are expected to enroll in the VA study over the next five to six years from over 50 VA medical centers nationwide. 

"The MVP intends to leverage a tremendous amount of multi-omics data with the goal of identifying innovative ways to prevent and treat illnesses in our nation's veterans," said Michael Gaziano, M.D., M.P.H., a principal investigator of the MVP based at VA Boston and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "By combining the genetics data already collected, the extensive clinical and lifestyle information that is unique to the VA healthcare system, and Metabolon's expertise in human metabolism, MVP aims to be one of the largest databases of its kind in the world.”

MVP provides researchers with extensive data collected from questionnaires, medical records and -omic analyses. 

Information will identify risks, aid in disease prevention

"Large population health studies, such as MVP, recognize the importance of collecting many types of data, because there are multiple influences on health beyond genetics," said John Ryals, Ph.D., president and CEO of Metabolon. "Metabolon and AKESOgen are helping this pioneering program maximize the value of genomics, metabolomics and other health information to identify disease risk factors and new targets for preventive health care."  

Metabolomics is the study of metabolites, small molecules produced by chemical transformations within living cells. Metabolon’s technology measures changes in metabolite levels and maps them to biochemical pathways, giving researchers and clinicians a better understanding of health and the influences of genes, microbiome, diet, lifestyle and drug treatment.

Metabolon has completed about 7,000 projects in health care and other life science applications since its founding in 2000. The company has about 200 employees, including nearly 40 who have Ph.D.s, according to its website.

Barry Teater, NCBiotech Writer
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