Novel Serum Inflammatory Biomarkers for Early Detection of Breast Cancer

Proteins that are post-translationally modified by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species ROSRNS have relevance to disease including cancer however, their study as a source of cancer biomarkers is still at a relatively early stage. Identifying these biomarkers in serum presents a difficult task given the vast range of protein concentrations. To alleviate this problem two enrichment strategies that precede analysis are emerging. The first is removal of high abundance proteins and the second, enrichment of the adducted proteins using immunopurification with antibodies developed against specific protein adducts. Using the latter approach, we isolated and identified four NT-containing proteins unique to the serum of breast cancer patients obscurin, nucleoprotein, fibrinogen gar and fibrinogen bet. The potential impact of this work is that first, it provides a methodological template for the purification and further study of post-translationally-modified proteins and secondly, through the development of assays to monitor these biomarkers in the serum of cancer patients, it has the potential to present the physician an opportunity for more timely therapeutic intervention by providing improved diagnostic capability with use of early disease biomarkers. This should result in improving long term survival which is highly relevant to the goals of the Era of Hope.