Up to three metabolic subtypes of childhood obesity identified

Newsroom

Childhood obesity in Spain and around the world remains a major public health challenge, although for years there has been greater awareness of the problem, both in public and private institutions. There is extensive research on the topic that addresses various aspects, from the origin and evolution of the problem (including associated genetic, social, economic, and behavioral factors) to possible treatments.

In this line, the research team of the Center for Metabolomics and Bioanalysis (CEMBIO) of CEU San Pablo University, the Niño Jesús University Children's Hospital, and the Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) have provided a novel approach to studying the origins of childhood obesity based on parameters that can be measured in blood. Thanks to the capabilities of multiplatform metabolomics and advanced statistical analysis techniques, they have been able to select a set of biomarkers that have allowed them to identify up to three previously undescribed metabolic subtypes (metabotypes) of childhood obesity.

Thanks to the experience of the Hospital's research group in genetically-related (monogenic) obesity, as they co-lead the European collaborative group studying it, it has been possible to demonstrate that these metabotypes are not related to known genetic variants. "The selection of biomarkers can help classify the type of obesity and, thus, identify the best treatment for each type," says the principal investigator (PI) of the project at CEMBIO, Fco. Javier Rupérez.

These results have been recently published in the article Identifying subgroups of childhood obesity by using multiplatform metabotyping from the journal Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences and provide a solid foundation for the development of more effective and personalized therapeutic strategies, which could transform the management of childhood obesity in the future.

Research with metabolomics

This research, which combines metabolomics, clinical practice, and advanced statistical techniques for data analysis, relies on close collaboration between CEMBIO researchers Fco. Javier Rupérez and David Chamoso; Jesús Argente and Gabriel Martos, from the Pediatrics and Endocrinology Department of the Niño Jesús University Children's Hospital; and Francisco Rabadán, from the Applied Statistics Department of the Rey Juan Carlos University. "For me, it has been a very enriching experience to be able to contribute to this project, applying multivariate techniques from my experience in social sciences to the analysis of clinical data. I am very grateful to the entire team, and especially to Javier Rupérez and David Chamoso for counting on me. I am very excited to think that this work can help improve the lives of many children," notes the URJC researcher.

Funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Health Research Fund (FIS) of the Carlos III Health Institute, this project deepens our understanding of the metabolic alterations associated with childhood obesity and the possibilities of personalized, non-pharmacological interventions.

Evaluation of the ketogenic diet

Another finding is related to nutritional intervention-based treatments: diets. Maintaining a ketogenic diet for four months led to weight loss in the children, which was maintained for up to twelve months. Metabolomics studies have shown that this weight loss was associated with dramatic changes in metabolism, which persisted for up to nine months after the end of treatment, but not in all patients. This has allowed us to identify a panel of biomarkers that, before starting treatment, could be related to predicting success and selecting the most appropriate treatment for each patient.

The principal investigator of the CEMBIO project highlights the importance of these multidisciplinary collaborations in addressing a problem as complex as childhood obesity. "Our goal is to improve treatment precision and patient adherence by identifying predictive markers that allow us to select the most appropriate interventions for each individual," says Rupérez.

These studies represent a significant step toward understanding and treating childhood obesity and underscore the importance of collaborative, multidisciplinary research in finding innovative solutions to public health problems.