Metabolomics for tumor marker discovery and identification based on chromatography–mass spectrometry

Abstract

Early detection is the most effective way to improve the clinical outcome of malignancies. Although some tumor markers are now widely used in the clinic, their sensitivity and specificity are still not satisfactory. Thus, there is an urgent requirement for the discovery of new tumor markers. By measuring holistic endogenous metabolites, metabolomics can be used for delineating metabolic networks and discovering metabolic markers. Chromatography–mass spectrometry is the most widely used tool for metabolomics and has shown great potential for biomarker screening. In this review, the authors summarize: recent advances in the protocols and methodologies of chromatography–mass spectrometry-based metabolomics in the discovery of tumor markers; recently identified tumor metabolic markers for primary liver cancer, gynecologic cancer and genitourinary cancer and their applications; and commonly encountered problems in the translational research of metabolic markers.

Keywords::

• biomarker
• cancer
• chromatography
• mass spectrometry
• metabolomics
• translational medicine

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was supported by the national basic research program of China (No. 2012CB518303), the state key science and technology projects for infectious diseases (2012ZX10002-011, 2012ZX10002-009) and the foundations (No. 21175132 and 21275141) and the creative research group project (No. 21021004) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.