#AI reads Urine# Investigating stage-specific metabolic alterations in colorectal cancer through urine metabolomics
Published 27 October, 2025
The study employed a urine metabolomics approach, enrolling 100 healthy controls and 95 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients at different stages (25 cases at Stage 0/I, 30 cases at Stage II, and 40 cases at Stage III). A total of 195 urine samples were analyzed using UPLC-MS. The results revealed 82 metabolites with statistical significance between CRC patients and healthy controls, and these metabolites were involved in pathways such as steroid hormone biosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism. Furthermore, a diagnostic panel consisting of Retinol, L-β-aspartyl-L-glycine, and 21-Deoxycortisol was constructed. The AUC values of this panel for distinguishing CRC patients from healthy controls were 0.933 in the discovery group and 0.93 in the validation group, respectively. It also exhibited favorable efficacy in distinguishing CRC patients at different stages from healthy controls (AUC = 0.918 for Stage 0/I, AUC = 0.862 for Stage II, and AUC = 0.845 for Stage III). Ultimately, the study concluded that the urine metabolome can distinguish CRC patients from healthy individuals and reflect changes across different CRC stages, and targeted metabolomic analysis may facilitate the development of potential biomarkers. Meanwhile, limitations of the study in terms of control population type, sample size, and mechanism validation were also noted.
Metabolomics. 2025 Oct 22;21(6):152. doi: 10.1007/s11306-025-02344-x.
Youhe Gao
Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used Doubao / AI reading for summarizing the content. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.
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