Deciphering a proteomic signature for the early detection of breast cancer from breast milk: the role of quantitative proteomics

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers among women in the United States. Current research regarding breast milk has been focused on the composition and its role in infant growth and development. There is little information about the proteins, immune cells, and epithelial cells present in breast milk which can be indicative of the emergence of BC cells and tumors

Areas covered

We summarize all breast milk studies previously done in our group using proteomics. These studies include 1D-PAGE and 2D-PAGE analysis of breast milk samples, which include within woman and across woman comparisons to identify dysregulated proteins in breast milk and the roles of these proteins in both the development of BC and its diagnosis. Our projected outlook for the use of milk for cancer detection is also discussed.

Expert Opinion

Analyzing the samples by multiple methods allows one to interrogate a set of samples with various biochemical methods that complement each other, thus providing a more comprehensive proteome. Complementing methods like 1D-PAGE, 2D-PAGE, in-solution digestion and proteomics analysis with PTM-omics, peptidomics, degradomics, or interactomics will provide a better understanding of the dysregulated proteins, but also the modifications or interactions between these proteins.

KEYWORDS:

• Breast cancer
• mass spectrometry
• proteomics
• biomarker discovery
• protein quantitation

Article highlights

• 1D-PAGE, 2D-PAGE, and in-solution digestion of proteins, followed by nanoLC-MS/MS can complement each other to identify dysregulated proteins, using cell lysates or biological fluids.

• Each proteomics approach used has advantages and disadvantages, discussed in this manuscript.

• Breast milk is an understudied biological fluid that can provide information on detection or progression of BC, or response to a treatment.

• Comparison of the dysregulated proteins detected by our lab in breast milk with the proteins detected by other labs in other biological fluids (serum, plasma, urine, etc.) is very informative.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no 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. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was funded by the Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute [1R15CA260126-01A1 and 3R15CA260126-01A1S1].