Advances in the application of label-free quantitative proteomics techniques in malignancy research

Proteomics is the scientific discipline that deals with the protein composition of cells, tissues, and organisms and their patterns of change. It is considered an invaluable tool for tackling many challenges faced in medicine and biology. Among the available approaches, label-free quantitative proteomics techniques are extensively used to study malignant tumors due to their low cost, simple operation, and short cycle time. Therefore, it provides a novel approach to explore the pathogenesis, diagnostic markers, and targeted drugs of malignant tumors. Here, we summarize the research progress and potential of label-free quantitative proteomics and discuss the application of such techniques in the research on malignancies.