Biomarkers in healthy and diseased cells illuminate biological processes. Cancer biomarkers are either produced by the tumor or by other cells in the body in response to the tumor. Early detection of protein biomarkers is crucial for cancer prognosis and disease prevention. Recent progress in proteomics technology advances biomarker research at unprecedented speed and identifies new therapeutic targets for cancer. A tour-de-force approach to identify cancer cell proteomes and track tumor development from preneoplasia to neoplasia could highlight novel biomarkers for cancer detection and prevention.
Genomics and transcriptomics are go-to methods for identifying genes that are differentially expressed in healthy and cancerous cells. However, in addition to characterizing the protein compositions of various cell types, proteomics provides more details, including post-translational modifications, and interactions with other proteins that reveal important cellular pathways. Identifying changes at the protein level that reflect the intrinsic genetic state and environmental effects can improve the ...
