Proteomics as a tool for biomarker discovery

Issue title: BIOMARKERS IN OVARIAN DISEASE

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kohn, Elise C.^; | Azad, Nilofer^; | Annunziata, Christina | Dhamoon, Amit S. | Whiteley, Gordon

Affiliations: Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA | Medical Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author: 10 Center Drive MSC1500, Building 10, Room B1B51, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Tel.: +1 301 402 2726; Fax: +1 301 480 5142; E-mail: kohne@mail.nih.gov

Abstract: Novel technologies are now being advanced for the purpose of identification and validation of new disease biomarkers. A reliable and useful clinical biomarker must a) come from a readily attainable source, such as blood or urine, b) have sufficient sensitivity to correctly identify affected individuals, c) have sufficient specificity to avoid incorrect labeling of unaffected persons, and d) result in a notable benefit for the patient through intervention, such as survival or life quality improvement. Despite these critical descriptors, the few available FDA-approved biomarkers for cancer do not completely fit this definition and their benefits are limited to a small number of cancers. Ovarian cancer exemplifies the need for a diagnostic biomarker of early stage disease. Symptoms are present but not specific to the disease, delaying diagnosis until an advanced and generally incurable stage in over 70% of affected women. As such, diagnostic intervention in the form of oopherectomy can be performed in the appropriate at-risk population if identified such as with a new accurate, sensitive, and specific biomarker. If early stage disease is identified, the requirement for survival and life quality improvement will be met. One of the new technologies applied to biomarker discovery is tour-de-force analysis of serum peptides and proteins. Optimization of mass spectrometry techniques coupled with advanced bioinformatics approaches has yielded informative biomarker signatures discriminating presence of cancer from unaffected in multiple studies from different groups. Validation and randomized outcome studies are needed to determine the true value of these new biomarkers in early diagnosis, and improved survival and quality of life.

Keywords: Ovarian cancer, proteomics, mass spectrometry, biomarker, diagnosis

Journal: Disease Markers, vol. 23, no. 5-6, pp. 411-417, 2007