Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer: The Role of Translational Proteomics Research

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world, and it is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. Despite recent progress in the development of screening programs and in the management of patients with colorectal cancer, there are still many gaps to fill, ranging from the prevention and early diagnosis to the determination of prognosis factors and treatment of metastatic disease, to establish a personalized approach. The genetic profile approach has been increasingly used in the decision-making process, especially in the choice of targeted therapies and in the prediction of drug response, but there are still few validated biomarkers of colorectal cancer for clinical practice. The discovery of non-invasive, sensitive, and specific biomarkers is an urgent need, and translational proteomics play a key role in this process, as they enable better comprehension of colorectal carcinogenesis, identification of potential markers, and subsequent validation. This review provides an overview of recent advances in the search for colorectal cancer biomarkers through proteomics studies according to biomarker function and clinical application.

Keywords: biomarkers; colorectal cancer; mass spectrometry; proteomics; translational research.

Figure 1

Example of hypothetical application of translational proteomic research in colorectal cancer approach. The prospection of new predictive biomarkers is cardinal to the implementation of an integrative and personalized medicine, making possible the individual assessment of targeted therapies, and drug response.