LC-MS and iTRAQ-proteomics uncover potential PCa biomarker

A team of scientists has used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) to study potential biomarkers for prostate cancer (PCa).

The study was published in Proteome Science, in which the nine-strong team outlined that proteomics could be harnessed to track protein changes in those suffering from the condition.

This could therefore lead to the discovery of biomarkers both for diagnosis and prognosis, they explain.

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and iTRAQ were used to analyse the biopsy samples, which were taken from patients with three different types of the condition.

"A significant up-regulation of periostin in PCa compared to benign prostate hyperplasia may provide clues for not only a promising biomarker for the prognosis of PCa but also a potential target for therapeutical intervention," the scientists concluded.

The team adds that the proteomic study of PCa with iTRAQ technology could be a new strategy for understanding the illness.

Proteome Science is an open-access journal, in which papers are reviewed by peers prior to publishing.