Proteomics and metabolomics in biomarker discovery for cardiovascular diseases: progress and potential

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The process of discovering novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets may be shortened using proteomic and metabolomic approaches.

Areas covered: Several complementary strategies, each one presenting different advantages and limitations, may be used with these novel approaches. In vitro studies show how cells involved in cardiovascular disease react, although the phenotype of cultured cells differs to that occurring in vivo. Tissue analysis either in human specimens or animal models may show the proteins that are expressed in the pathological process, although the presence of structural proteins may be confounding. To identify circulating biomarkers, analyzing the secretome of cultured atherosclerotic tissue, analysis of blood cells and/or plasma may be more straightforward. However, in the latter approach, high-abundant proteins may mask small molecules that could be potential biomarkers. The study of sub-proteomes such as high-density lipoproteins may be useful to circumvent this limitation. Regarding metabolomics, most studies have been performed in small populations, and we need to perform studies in large populations in order to discover robust biomarkers.

Expert commentary: It is necessary to involve the clinicians in these areas to improve the design of clinical studies, including larger populations, in order to obtain consistent novel biomarkers.

KEYWORDS:

• Cardiovascular disease
• biomarkers
• proteomics
• metabolomics
• therapeutic targets
• atherothrombosis

Declaration of interest

L. Blanco-Colio and J. Egido have a patent on TWEAK as a biomarker (Name: “Soluble TWEAK as a biomarker of early atherosclerosis; number: ES2321466; Autónoma University of Madrid). 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.

Additional information

Funding

This paper has been funded by Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (SAF 2007/63648 and 2007/60896), Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid (CAM S2006/GEN-0247), Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS PI05/0451, PS09/01405 AND CP04/00060), European Network (HEALTH F2-2008-200647), EUROSALUD (EUS2008-03565), Fundación Ramón Areces, Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Red RECAVA (RD06/0014/0035), Sociedad Española de Cardiología, Sociedad Española de Arteriosclerosis, Mutua Madrileña Automovilista and Pfizer.