[Functional proteomics in oncology: to understand more than to describe]

Like other -omics, proteomics is traditionally understood as a method that allows a global description of molecular content (here proteins) of a biological sample, used to identify new biomarkers in diseases such as cancers. Proteomics is also a powerful tool to identify the molecular mechanisms of diseases. In cancer, deregulation of cell growth and migration is related to alterations in cell signalling and the numerous alterations in protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions that account for the malignant phenotype are only partly understood. Based on its capacity to separate and identify proteins, including those with post-translational modifications, proteomics provides new ways to understand post-genomic events that contribute to transformation and to identify new therapeutic targets.