Proteomics in Gastrointestinal Diseases of Companion Animals: Current State and Knowledge Gaps

Proteomics, the study of the structure and function of proteins, has been used to investigate candidate biomarkers and study the pathophysiology of various diseases. Biomarkers may be useful in diagnosing, monitoring and assessing treatment responses. This review provides an overview of proteomic techniques, describes the workflow and pipeline for biomarker discovery, and evaluates the current literature on proteomic studies in veterinary gastroenterology in dogs and cats. Current studies in this field are advancing our understanding of disease pathophysiology in conditions such as chronic enteropathy (CE). For biomarker development, proteomic research in veterinary gastroenterology is still in the early discovery phase. Substantial work on verification and validation is required before proteomic biomarkers can be reliably translated into clinical practice in companion animals.