Proteomics as a tool for clinically relevant biomarker discovery and validation.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Biotechnology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Initial excitement in clinical proteomics focused on biomarker and drug discovery using mass spectrometry.
• Early belief that mass spectrometry could identify disease-specific markers for high-throughput screening has been difficult to realize.
• The full potential of proteomics for routine clinical applications remains largely unmet.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the role of proteomics in biomarker and drug discovery.
• To discuss the utility of 2D gels and mass spectrometry in the discovery phase.
• To advocate for alternative methods in routine clinical analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 2D gels and mass spectrometry for biomarker discovery.
• Considered mass spectral characteristics for distinguishing between control and disease samples.
• Evaluated strategies for high-throughput clinical sample analysis.

Main Results:

• Mass spectrometry is powerful for biomarker discovery but not ideal for routine clinical analysis.
• Achieving high-throughput screening with mass spectrometry has proven difficult.
• 2D gels and mass spectrometry are versatile for the discovery phase of biomarker research.

Conclusions:

• While mass spectrometry has a role in drug and biomarker discovery, alternative strategies are more promising for routine analysis.
• Immunochemical methods are recommended for high-throughput validation and routine assay applications.
• The early promise of proteomics for routine clinical applications requires further development and potentially different approaches.