Klin Onkol 2004; 17(5): 157-161.
Summary: The proteomics approaches have brought new hope of discovering novel biomarkers that can be used to diagnose diseases, predict therapy response and monitor disease progression. Large effort was focused on the mass spectral identification of the thousands of proteins from serum, plasma, urine, and tissues. Mass spectrometry-based diagnostics have the potential to change molecular medicine. Using modern mass-spectrometer technologies, clinical tests can be developed in the near future that are practical, robust, accurate, and inexpensive. A new approach termed „proteomic pattern analysis“ is known as an effective method for the early diagnosis of diseases such as ovarian, breast, prostate cancer and others. This method relies on the pattern of proteins observed and does not rely solely on the identification of a traceable biomarker. Protein pattern profiling by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionisation time of flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is known as a novel approach to discover protein patterns capable of distinguishing disease and disease-free states with high sensitivity and specificity. These approaches couple affinity-based mass spectrometry with adaptive bioinformatics, which can now be employed to detect pathological states reflected in the serum, plasma, urine or cell lysate proteome. With this approach, rapid and cost-effective tests with exquisite clinical sensitivity and specificity are emerging. These new methodologies may dramatically change how disease is detected, monitored, and managed.
