Gut microbiota-derived metabolites: discovery of biomarkers and therapeutic targets in CVDs

In this talk, I will share recent findings from our group at CNIC on gut microbiota-derived metabolites and their role in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), with a particular focus on discoveries enabled by metabolomics. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry and integrative analysis, we identified imidazole propionate (ImP), a gut microbiota-derived metabolite linked to atherosclerosis in apparently healthy individuals. Our study, published in Nature, demonstrates that ImP causes atherosclerosis by activating the imidazoline 1 receptor (I1R), and that blocking this pathway can halt its harmful effects. I will explain how targeted and untargeted metabolomics were crucial in uncovering this causal link and identifying potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Additionally, I will discuss ongoing research to discover other microbiota-derived metabolites involved in CVDs and the development of innovative mass spectrometry-based tools for clinical use.

Ponente. Annalaura Mastrangelo (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares).