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Vol.43 No.7 contents | Japanese/English |
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The application of molecular biology (proteomics) to lung cancer screening -Discovery of novel biomarkers-
Takashi Hirano11Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, Japan
Comprehensive analysis of both human genes and proteins has been started based upon the establishment of human genome database. Proteomics is the science by which proteins are investigated with regard to their roles as functional elements. Many researchers believe that proteomics will play a dominant role in life science in post genome age. Though we often use 'post genome' as a technical term, it would be more precise to say that at present we are in the age of the post genome sequence, and that we now stand at the entrance to the age of functional analysis in molecular level. The clarification of the human genome sequence is one of the most critical events in life science, and sequentially the final results of the human genome sequence are accelerating overall analysis of human gene products. In this context, there is a high possibility that tumor-specific molecules could be used in the early detection of malignant neoplasms. Ideal biomarkers would be distributed to very little in normal tissues but much in a cancerous tissue. Now we attempt to investigate proteomes associated with lung cancer. In this manuscript we describe the present status of proteomic analysis concerning lung cancer and the exploration for novel tumor-specific biomarkers aiming at the early diagnosis of lung cancer.
key words: Early detection of lung cancer, Proteomics, Novel biomarkers, Lung cancer screening
JJLC 43 (7): 1028-1032, 2003
