Development of Tier 2 LC-MRM-MS protein quantification methods for liquid biopsies

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Oncology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Quantitative protein tests are crucial for defining health and disease states, enabling personalized diagnostics and treatments.
• Current cancer diagnostics like TNM staging have limitations in predicting patient outcomes and survival.
• The tumor microenvironment, particularly the tumor-stroma ratio, is increasingly recognized as a vital prognostic parameter.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the analytical aspects of developing quantitative protein tests for personalized cancer diagnostics.
• To explore the potential of mass spectrometry (MS)-based platforms for protein quantification in body fluids.
• To detail the trajectory of developing liquid chromatography (LC)-MS methods for quantifying tumor-stroma specific proteins.

Main Methods:

• Review of mass spectrometry (MS)-based platforms for protein quantification.
• Discussion of liquid chromatography (LC)-MS method development for body fluid analysis.
• Focus on analytical challenges and advancements in quantitative proteomics.

Main Results:

• MS platforms offer precise quantification of specific proteins in body fluids, with applications in cancer diagnostics.
• Quantified protein readouts can help determine tumor aggressiveness and monitor patient response to treatment.
• LC-MS methods are being developed to quantify tumor-stroma specific proteins in body fluids, moving beyond traditional pathology slides.

Conclusions:

• Quantitative protein analysis, particularly using MS, holds significant promise for advancing personalized cancer diagnostics and treatment strategies.
• The development of standardized, collaborative efforts is essential for advancing quantitative protein testing.
• Measuring tumor-stroma proteins in body fluids via LC-MS represents a novel approach to improve prognostic accuracy and patient management.