NCT06363253

Pilot Study of the Human Metagenome in Metabolic Diseases

Understanding the Role of the Human Metagenome in Obesity, Metabolic Diseases, Chronic Inflammation, Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity - a Pilot Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 600 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Sengkang General Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years – 99 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This is a cohort study to understand the role of the human metagenome, and associated metabolites, in health and in various diseased states, in particular obesity as well as sarcopenia. Recruited participants will have their fecal, salivary, urine, serum, and in certain instances, mucosal samples taken, for metagenomic sequencing and metabolite testing. We hope to uncover various differences and signatures in the metagenome and metabolome in various diseased states, with potential future therapeutic applications in personalised medicine.

Detailed description

The human metagenome comprises all nucleotide sequences isolated from all organisms living on and within an individual and has been shown to have significant alterations in relation to certain diseased states related to chronic inflammation, such as obesity and sarcopenia. The gut bacteriome, and more recently the virome, has been shown to be significantly correlated with the obese phenotype, while gut microbiome dysbiosis is known to occur in individuals with sarcopenia. Clinically, there is an unmet clinical need to better personalize the treatment of patients with metabolic disorders such as obesity and metabolic syndrome, and patients suffering from sarcopenia and frailty as a result of aging. However, the literature regarding the metagenomic signatures associated with these disorders, in particular the non-bacteriome species, bacterial metabolites, and their relationship with host metabolism, were scarce. Thus we hypothesize, that the human metagenome and metabolome, may play a role in influencing chronic inflammatory disorders related to metabolic disorders, such as obesity and diseases related to aging like sarcopenia and aging. This is a cohort study, involving metagenomic sequencing and metabolomic analysis, of patients metagenome and metabolome, in various diseased states. A cohort of healthy control patients without obesity or sarcopenia will also be recruited. Samples collected will include fecal, salivary, serum, urine, mucosal samples for metagenomic sequencing and metabolomic testing.

Conditions

• Obesity
• Sarcopenia
• Sarcopenic Obesity
• Chronic Inflammation
• Metabolic Syndrome

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	No specific intervention	Patient will undergo their routine clinical treatment for their related clinical condition (eg. anti-obesity or bariatric intervention for obese group; muscle strengthening interventions or necessary treatment for their concomitant medical condition for the sarcopenia group). Follow-up testing will include repeat assessment of the subjects metagenome and metabolome over time, and after intervention Control subjects will have no interventions performed as well.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-08-14
• Primary completion: 2026-12-31
• Completion: 2027-12-31
• First posted: 2024-04-12
• Last updated: 2025-05-15

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Singapore