Clinical Application of Proteomics in Breast Cancer: State of the Art and Perspectives

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent and deadly cancers in industrialized countries. The identification of accurate biomarkers that improve the screening, diagnosis, prognostication and prediction of therapeutic response or toxicity, and the identification of novel molecular therapeutic targets are crucial. Today, high-throughput molecular techniques permit investigators to systematically interrogate the genome, transcriptome, and proteome of cancer cells. During the past decade, mRNA expression profiling has been successfully applied to the molecular characterization of breast cancers. Application of proteomics-based techniques is also considered crucial for detecting new biomarkers. In this review, we present the proteomics-based methods that have been applied to date to breast cancer samples for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Despite their current limits, these pioneering techniques are promising. The most important results as well as the current limitations and perspectives are summarized and discussed.

Spatially Resolved Metabolic Phenotyping of Breast Cancer by Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

“…The most intense peaks, with a P value < 2 Â 10 À5 , are summarized in Table 3. Very high fold changes (26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37) were found for signals associated with lactate and calcidiol. Lactate was found as a dimer and in form of several sodium chloride clusters (MþNa 4 Cl 4 , MþNa 3 Cl 3 , MþNa 2 Cl 2 ).…”

Proteomic studies in breast cancer (Review)

“…Although it is indispensable for providing insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with the development of absolute quantitative assays, few of these mass-to-charge ratios have been satisfactorily validated (75). Moreover, the candidate markers that have been identified constitute normal cell proteins or high abundant blood proteins involved in either coagulation or the acute phase response.…”

Organ Specific Tumor Markers: What’s New?

“…[29]. Certain markers like DNA ploidy by flow cytometry [30], p53 [31], cathepsin D [32], cyclin E [33], proteomics [34], detection of bone marrow micrometastases [35], and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) [36] are considered, but no evidence is available which would recommend them for routine clinical use. Breast cancer markers are summarized in Table 4. BRCA1/2 gene mutations have been described in familial breast cancer patients.…”

“…Proteomic analysis for breast cancer is also a new development; present data are insufficient to support use of proteomic patterns to manage breast cancer [34].…”