Oncoproteomics

Researchers have long acknowledged that changes in genes or gene activity lead to cancer. However, it was difficult to understand the function of such specific genes and their interaction in communication networks and the roles played by their protein products in molecular pathways. Protein molecules have direct influences on the development of cancer as it fundamentally arises due to aberrant signaling pathways. Identifying and understanding these changes is the primary theme of cancer proteomics, also termed as oncoproteomics. The ultimate objective of oncoproteomics is to acclimatize proteomic technologies for regular use in clinical laboratories for the purpose of diagnostic and prognostic categorization of disease condition, as well as in assessing drug toxicity and efficiency. Information gained from such technologies may soon exert a spectacular change in cancer research and impact dramatically on the care of cancer patients. Investigations of tumor-specific proteomic profiles may also allow better understanding of tumor development and the identification of novel targets for cancer therapy. In this review, we have tried to offer a wide perspective on recent progresses in proteomic research strategies, their applications in the discovery of novel tumor markers and drug targets and their role in illustrating action mechanisms of biomarkers and anticancer drugs including drug resistance.