Proteomic methodologies and their application in colorectal cancer research

Colorectal cancer usually develops in clearly defined stages, with distinct molecular alterations characterizing each transition. This often slow process makes colorectal cancer an ideal target for early detection programs. The blossoming of global, -omics approaches in recent years has led to greatly increased expectations for novel diagnostic and prognostic tools. Despite many early disappointments and the resulting skepticism, real progress has been made with exciting new prospects for cancer research. This review summarizes currently available proteomic tools for identifying novel biomarkers and drug targets, as well as an overview of their application in research on molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Emphasis is given to novel sample preparation methods, protein separation and identification techniques, and advanced mass spectrometry tools for quantitative proteomic. The most important applications of these technologies in colorectal cancer research are discussed.