From the genome to the proteome--biomarkers in colorectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Current clinical practice in colorectal cancer screening (fecal occult blood test, FOBT; colonoscopy) has contributed to a reduction of mortality. However, despite these screening programs, about 70% of carcinomas are detected at advanced tumor stages (UICC III/IV) presenting poor patient prognosis. Thus, innovative tools and methodologies for early cancer detection can directly result in improving patient survival rates.


METHODS
Biomedical research has advanced rapidly in recent years with the availability of technologies such as global gene and protein expression profiling. Comprehensive tumor profiling has become a field of intensive research aiming at identifying biomarkers relevant for improved diagnostics and therapeutics.


RESULTS
In this paper, we report a comprehensive review of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches for biomarker identification in tissue and blood with a main emphasis on two-dimensional gel-electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry analyses.


CONCLUSIONS
Proteomics-based technologies enable to distinguish the healthy patient from the tumor patient with high sensitivity and specificity and could greatly improve common classification systems and diagnostics. However, this progress has not yet been transferred from bench to bedside but could open the door to a more accurate and target specific personalized medicine with improved patient survival.
Habermann
Jens K
JK
Department of Surgery, University of Schleswig-Holstein Campus Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. Jens.Habermann@gmail.com
Bader
Franz G
FG
Franke
Christian
C
Zimmermann
Kaja
K
Gemoll
Timo
T
Fritzsche
Britta
B
Ried
Thomas
T
Auer
Gert
G
Bruch
Hans-Peter
HP
Roblick
Uwe J
UJ
D000782:Aneuploidy; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics*; D016678:Genome; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D020543:Proteome; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020543:Proteome