Body Fluids as a Source of Proteomic Biomarkers of Various Diseases

Abstract

Proteomics is one of the crucial methods used in biomarker discovery in various human diseases. The advantage of proteomics relies in its ability to identify disease-specific proteins. One very promising strategy is to analyze body fluids that are proximal to the organ of interest and are usually less complex than tissues or blood. Such an approach increases the chance for marker definition. This article reviews current knowledge on body fluid proteomics and proteomic biomarkers of human diseases and highlights mass spectrometry as one of the crucial methods in biomarker discovery.