Metabolomics in influenza viral infection: insights into host–virus interactions and potential biomarkers of severe outcomes

Influenza viruses are highly contagious respiratory pathogens that cause seasonal outbreaks, leading to millions of infections and a significant number of deaths worldwide. To support rapid replication and transmission, influenza viruses hijack the host's metabolic pathways, including those involved in carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. Through this metabolic reprogramming, the virus leverages the host's metabolic resources to produce viral components and create specialized compartments necessary for replication and dissemination. In response, host cells activate a range of metabolic defense mechanisms to detect and counteract the virus-induced metabolic changes, resulting in a dynamic interplay that profoundly impacts the outcome of the infection. Advances in metabolomics have provided valuable insights into these complex host-virus interactions, identifying key metabolic biomarkers with potential for early diagnosis, real-time disease monitoring, and therapeutic response evaluation, especially in the early detection and management of severe influenza infections. In the future, these metabolic biomarkers could drive the development of new strategies for influenza prevention and treatment, providing a scientific foundation for precision medicine.