This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Google Scholar Articles by Krause, K. Articles by Fuhrer, D. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Krause, K. Articles by Fuhrer, D. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Thyroid Cancer Related Collections Thyroid Endocrine Oncology

Proteomics in Thyroid Tumor Research

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, University of Leipzig, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Kerstin Krause, Ph.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, University of Leipzig, Ph.-Rosenthal-Str. 27, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany. E-mail: Kerstin.Krause{at}medizin.uni-leipzig.de.

Background: In recent years, "OMICS" technologies have paved novel ways for the broad-scale identification of molecular signatures and signaling pathways specific to tumorigenesis. Related to this are high hopes for the discovery of biomarkers facilitating diagnosis and prognosis of cancer as well as the option for pathway-targeted tumor treatment. Among the different OMICS methods, the potential of proteomics is just beginning to emerge, and according to the current literature, the proteome is to date the most feasible tool to reflect tumor biology.

Objective: In this review we discuss the application of proteomics to the field of thyroid tumor research.

Context: First, we provide an overview of different methods for protein expression profiling and then discuss specific requirements and challenges of thyroid proteomics. Furthermore, we summarize results of published proteomics studies on human thyroid tumors and finally explore perspectives of thyroid proteomics, which, combined with mRNA expression profiling and traditional biochemical methods, is increasingly contributing to an improved understanding of thyroid tumorigenesis and may in the future open novel avenues in thyroid cancer therapy.