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Proteomic analysis in cancer research: potential application in clinical use

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Summary

The ultimate goal of cancer proteomics is to adapt proteomic technologies for routine use in clinical laboratories for the purpose of diagnostic and prognostic classification of disease states, as well as in evaluating drug toxicity and efficacy. The novel technologies allows researchers to facilitate the comprehensive analyses of genomes, transcriptomes, and proteomes in health and disease. The information that is expected from such technologies may soon exert a dramatic change in cancer research and impact dramatically on the care of cancer patients. Analysis of tumor-specific proteomic profiles may also allow better understanding of tumor development and the identification of novel targets for cancer therapy. The localization of gene products, which is often difficult to deduce from the sequence, can be determined experimentally. Mechanisms, such as regulation of protein function by proteolysis, recycling, and isolation in cell compartments, affect gene products, not genes. Finally, protein-protein interactions and the molecular composition of cellular structures can be determined only at the protein level. The biological variability among patient samples as well as the great dynamic range of biomarker concentrations are currently the main challenges facing efforts to deduce diagnostic patterns that are unique to specific disease states. While several strategies exist to address this problem, we have tried to offer a wide perspective about the current possibilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, University of Navarra, Avda Pio XII, 36, 31008, Pamplona, Spain

    Jesús García-Foncillas (Director), Eva Bandrés, Ruth Zárate & Natalia Remírez

  2. Center for Medical Applied Research, University of Navarra, Avda Pio XII, 36, 31008, Pamplona, Spain

    Jesús García-Foncillas (Director), Eva Bandrés, Ruth Zárate & Natalia Remírez

  3. Laboratory of Biotechnology, University of Navarra, Avda Pio XII, 36, 31008, Pamplona, Spain

    Jesús García-Foncillas (Director), Eva Bandrés, Ruth Zárate & Natalia Remírez

  4. Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University of Navarra, Avda Pio XII, 36, 31008, Pamplona, Spain

    Jesús García-Foncillas (Director), Eva Bandrés, Ruth Zárate & Natalia Remírez

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  1. Jesús García-Foncillas
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  2. Eva Bandrés
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Correspondence to Jesús García-Foncillas.

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Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Astra Zeneca.

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García-Foncillas, J., Bandrés, E., Zárate, R. et al. Proteomic analysis in cancer research: potential application in clinical use. Clin Transl Oncol 8, 250–261 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02664935

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