Analytical strategies in lipidomics and applications in disease biomarker discovery

Lipidomics is a lipid-targeted metabolomics approach aiming at comprehensive analysis of lipids in biological systems. Recently, lipid profiling, or so-called lipidomics research, has captured increased attention due to the well-recognized roles of lipids in numerous human diseases to which lipid-associated disorders contribute, such as diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Investigating lipid biochemistry using a lipidomics approach will not only provide insights into the specific roles of lipid molecular species in health and disease, but will also assist in identifying potential biomarkers for establishing preventive or therapeutic approaches for human health. Recent technological advancements in mass spectrometry and rapid improvements in chromatographic techniques have led to the rapid expansion of the lipidomics research field. In this review, emphasis is given to the recent advances in lipidomics technologies and their applications in disease biomarker discovery.