Targeted Proteomics Driven Verification of Biomarker Candidates Associated with Breast Cancer Aggressiveness.

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is the most common and molecularly well-characterized malignant cancer in women; however, its progression to metastatic cancer remains lethal for 78% of patients within 5 years of diagnosis. Identifying novel markers in high risk patients using quantitative methods is essential to overcome genetic, inter-tumor, and intra-tumor variability, and to translate novel findings into cancer diagnosis and treatment. Using untargeted proteomics, we recently identified 13 proteins associated with some key factors of breast cancer aggressiveness estrogen receptors, tumor grade, and lymph node status. Here we verified these findings in a set of 96 tumors using targeted proteomics based on selected reaction monitoring with mTRAQ labeling (mTRAQ-SRM). This study highlights a panel of gene products that could contribute to breast cancer aggressiveness and metastasis, and can help develop more precise breast cancer treatments.