New Protein Analysis Method for Identifying Disease

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a new method for quickly analyzing cellular protein products.  The technique was designed with the goal of searching for biomarkers, proteins that experience a change in expression resulting from disease.  This particular study focused on identifying proteins produced in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, finding not only the proteins the cell normally produces, but also changes in response to different treatments.  The researchers were also able to catalog what proteins are produced by breast cancer cells during various stages of development.  By acquiring and understanding biomarkers for specific diseases, doctors will be able to detect and diagnose health problems more quickly, saving lives.