MRUM
Metabolic Research Unit Maastricht
Our modern lifestyle is accompanied by increased energy intake, physical inactivity, stress and sleep impairments, together contributing to chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The world-class facilities of Metabolic Research Unit Maastricht (MRUM) are uniquely equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure to study human metabolism at the whole-body, tissue and cellular level. Understanding the metabolic basis of chronic diseases is important in early diagnosis, prevention and treatment. MRUM allows investigating cardiometabolic impairments in chronic diseases and the effects of lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, temperature, sleep, light, day-night rhythm) and medication on organ functioning and cardiometabolic risk factors.
Infrastructure and User Services
MRUM is a research facility operating at the forefront of human metabolic research worldwide, and is an attractive partner for scientific and industrial collaborations to pave the path for breakthroughs in the fight against chronic diseases.
MRUM consists of the Metabolic Research Unit, Clinical Research Unit and Metabolic imaging. The Metabolic Research Unit comprises 20 metabolic rooms, conforming to the latest quality standards. Part of the rooms are multi-purpose and part is specifically equipped to execute studies in which body composition, energy expenditure and substrate utilization are assessed. The prominent feature is the 5 climate-controlled respiration chambers that are state-of-the-art and unique in the Netherlands, and allow for human energy expenditure and substrate oxidation studies under strictly standardized conditions up to 7 days. The Clinical Research Unit comprises a respiration room specially equipped to study (vulnerable) patients. Further equipment includes custom-made ventilated hood systems, calibrated (syringe) pumps for substrate infusion, bed-side blood metabolite analyzers, highest-level exercise and body composition assessment (DEXA, BodPod, underwater weighing, deuterium-labeled water) and an analytical platform (incl. stable isotope methodology and mass spectrometry of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins). Current innovations include non-invasive continuous gut-microbial fermentation measurement in the respiration rooms.
Human in vivo studies in MRUM are combined with biosampling for further mechanistic insights and non-invasive (metabolic) imaging (e.g. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Computer Tomography (CT)) to study organ-specific substrate storage and metabolism. MRUM is open to internal and external users and is part of various (inter)national collaborations.
Examples/description of the type of research
Over the last decades, metabolic health problems are emerging, stretching our healthcare system and society. Our prosperous lifestyle characterized by e.g. overconsumption, a western diet, sedentary lifestyle and altered day-night rhythms, are recognized as key drivers. The changing climate (temperature, humidity) adds to that, especially in vulnerable people.
Further studies are urgently needed on mechanisms underlying lifestyle-induced cardiometabolic disturbances and how these impact disease onset, progression and treatment. MUMC+ fulfills a unique position as one of the leading institutes for translational metabolic research worldwide and has long-lasting expertise in the field of human energy and intermediary metabolism in humans. Researchers at MUMC+ with colleagues in the field have been responsible for several major breakthroughs for which MRUM was instrumental. Human studies in healthy, at risk and diseased individuals are conducted under various conditions, combining in vivo and momentary analysis of whole-body energy expenditure and substrate utilization, organ-specific metabolism, and (tissue) biosampling for mechanistic insights.
Key examples of studies include the impact of diet, physical (inactivity), environmental factors (i.e. temperature, oxygen availability, air quality, light exposure) and medication use on cardiometabolic health and disease progression in people with obesity and (pre)diabetes; unraveling the interorgan crosstalk, including the microbiome, and inter-individual differences in metabolism; understanding muscle loss and function in ageing, chronic inflammatory disease and cancer cachexia. The ultimate aim is to translate basic research findings into interventions that can be implemented at the level of the general population as well as in clinical settings to improve patient outcomes.
How to access the infrastructure
Both internal and external users can contact the MRUM Governance Board via a central email-address (MRUM@maastrichtuniversity.nl). However, physical presence is needed to run studies/i.e. to do analyses at MRUM as it includes physical measurements in/with humans.
As indicated above, when needed/warranted, arrangements can be made for support to run studies at MRUM.