Methods of comparative proteomic profiling for disease diagnostics

The recent development of numerous technologies for proteome analysis holds the promise of new and more precise methods for disease diagnosis. In this review, we provide an overview of some of these technologies including two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE), historically the workhorse of proteomic analysis, as well as some newer approaches such as liquid phase separations combined with mass spectrometry, and protein microarrays. It is evident that each method has its own strengths and weaknesses and no single method will be optimal in all applications. However, the continuing development of innovative strategies for protein separation and analysis is providing a wealth of new tools for multi-dimensional protein profiling that will advance our capabilities in disease diagnostics and our understanding of disease pathology.