Precision medicine aims to improve disease prognosis and patient stratification through information on biological mechanisms and using biomarkers. Precision medicine has been successfully employed in different therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular, digestive tract, respiratory, and inflammatory diseases.
Additionally, precision medicine and its applications can be further classified into different aspects, such as molecular phenotyping, large-scale screening, early disease detection, and prognostic prediction. Over time, researchers have employed multiple strategies and techniques for precision medicine, such as molecular biology-related analysis, including metabolomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics through robust bioanalytical methods. LC-MS testing is one such robust component of bioanalysis services for biomarker discovery. The current article discusses the role of LC-MS sample testing in biomarker discovery and advancing precision medicine. However, a robust LC-MS method validation remains crucial for acquiring reliable, reproducible, and accurate results.
LC-MS lab services for precision medicine and biomarker research
Biomarkers are critical for drug development. They help identify disease-related proteins in body fluids such as blood, serum, plasma, urine, and tissue samples. Today, LC-MS Lab testing is increasingly being employed in the clinical applications of biomarker discovery and research. The high separation resolution of liquid chromatography combined with sensitive and rapid mass spectrometry methods has helped scientists quantitate several isoforms, proteins, peptides, and post-translational modifications in complex study matrices, reducing a significant portion of expenditure required for developing specific immunoreagents.
LC-MS testing has significant applications in the proteomics domain. They are used in the global proteomics approach for screening large-scale analytes and protein biomarkers as well as in targeted proteomics for quantifying target analytes and proteins. Global proteomics approaches include label-free studies or assessments, including stable isotopes. However, employing label-free assessments to quantify low-abundance proteins does not provide adequate precision. On the other hand, isotope-labeled studies offer precise quantification without relying on the reproducibility parameter of LC-MS assays. Although both approaches are employed widely in cancer biomarker research, targeted LC-MS proteomics approaches are gaining recognition due to their ability to quantify analytes accurately.
Must Read: Applications of LC-MS Assays in Drug Discovery and Development
With advances in methodology and analysis, LC-MS systems have found application in a large number of research studies. For example, LC-MS systems are used in cerebrospinal fluid profiling with a specificity of 100% and an accuracy of 83% in identifying protein pathways associated with neurodegenerative disorders. On the other hand, LC-MS-based testing to quantify urine diagnostic biomarkers for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma using isotope labeling has been effective in treating and managing reactive airway diseases.
Additionally, LC-MS has found applications in human biomonitoring studies. They can analyze goods for hazardous phosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers. Besides, monitoring the presence of flame retardants through biomarker analysis of analytes such as di-phenyl phosphate in wastewater can aid in human biomonitoring. Not to mention, LC-MS assays are used in biomarker assessments for global health threats. For example, researchers are trying to develop mass spectrometry-based methods for detecting biomarkers such as tryptic peptides.
In Conclusion
LC-MS labs have a significant role in biomarker discovery and advancing precision medicine. However, a collaborative approach from the industry and academy is critical for expanding its applications in different domains of biomedical sciences.