Clinical Guidelines
A Systemic Problem in Metabolite Identification?
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By
February 12, 2026
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8 min
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1
Over 6,000 urine samples studied for metabolite misidentification.
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2
PAGIn misidentified as PAGly in numerous studies.
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3
Reliance on outdated spectral databases led to errors.
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4
Importance of rigorous metabolite validation highlighted.
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5
Misidentification affects biological interpretations and clinical relevance.
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Jeremy Nicholson and colleagues conducted a thorough re-evaluation of over 6,000 urine samples from humans and rodents, uncovering a systemic misidentification of phenylacetylglutamine (PAGIn) as phenylacetylglycine (PAGly) in numerous NMR studies. This error, attributed to reliance on outdated spectral databases, threatens the credibility of metabolomics, especially as metabolites gain clinical relevance. Nicholson emphasizes the need for rigorous validation in biomarker assignment to prevent ongoing misinterpretations in scientific literature.
-
1
Over 6,000 urine samples studied for metabolite misidentification.
-
2
PAGIn misidentified as PAGly in numerous studies.
-
3
Reliance on outdated spectral databases led to errors.
-
4
Importance of rigorous metabolite validation highlighted.
-
5
Misidentification affects biological interpretations and clinical relevance.
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