VTT is seeking to create new development paths towards a healthier life. New opportunities created by metabolics in the fields of diagnostics, medical development, industrial biotechnology and environmental technology have been a part of VTT research for almost 10 years.
VTT is one of the organisers of Metabomeeting 2011, an international conference on metabolics to be held at the end of September. Professor Jeremy K. Nicholson from London Imperial College will open the conference on Sunday, 25 September.
Metabolics is a new field concerned with human metabolites and their behaviour, and their impact on human health and well-being. The technology has already advanced development work on the treatment of many types of cancer, type 1 diabetes, obesity and obesity diseases, and schizophrenia. Metabolics has also assisted in finding new drug targets in cancer treatment, with medicines already entering production.
VTT's research has been exploiting metabolics for almost ten years. Research Professor Matej Oresic sees a bright future: "Its significance for health and well-being is increasing rapidly, and metabolics already plays a key role in the development of personal health care. We have discovered a number of biomarkers that will help in predicting serious diseases."