Pharmacology - General Medicine

Proteomics in clinical trials and practice: present uses and future promise.
Azad NSet al., 2006. Mol. Cell. Proteomics 5(10):1819-1829.

Abstract
The study of clinical proteomics is a promising new field that has the potential to have many applications, including the identification of biomarkers and monitoring of disease, especially in the field of oncology. Expression proteomics evaluates the cellular production of proteins encoded by a particular gene and exploits the differential expression and post-translational modifications of proteins between healthy and diseased states. These biomarkers may be applied towards early diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of response to therapy. Functional proteomics seeks to decipher protein-protein interactions and biochemical pathways involved in disease biology and targeted by newer molecular therapeutics. Advanced spectrometry technologies and new protein array formats have improved these analyses and are now being applied prospectively in clinical trials. Further advancement of proteomics technology could usher in an era of personalized molecular medicine, where diseases are diagnosed at earlier stages and where therapies are more effective because they are tailored to the protein expression of a patient's malignancy.

Journal Link | PMID

Comments:

The art and science of personalized medicine.

Piquette-Miller M & Grant DM, 2007. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 81(3):311-5

This editorial discusses the historical perspective of variation of human drug response and its impact on individualized medicine. Further, barriers to application of pharmacogenomic information to clinical practice is presented.

Journal Link  |  PMID

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