Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics for Pre-Eclampsia and Preterm Birth

Pregnancy-related complications such as pre-eclampsia and preterm birth now represent a notable burden of adverse health. Pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive disorder unique to pregnancy. It is an important cause of maternal death worldwide and a leading cause of fetal growth restriction and iatrogenic prematurity. Fifteen million infants are born preterm each year globally, but more than one million of those do not survive their first month of life. Currently there are no predictive tests available for diagnosis of these pregnancy-related complications and the biological mechanisms of the diseases have not been fully elucidated. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics have all the necessary attributes to provide the needed breakthrough in understanding the pathophysiology of complex human diseases thorough the discovery of biomarkers. The mass spectrometry methodologies employed in the studies for pregnancy-related complications are evaluated in this article. Top-down proteomic and peptidomic profiling by laser mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography or capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry, and bottom-up quantitative proteomics and targeted proteomics by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry have been applied to elucidate protein biomarkers and biological mechanism of pregnancy-related complications. The proteomes of serum, urine, amniotic fluid, cervical-vaginal fluid, placental tissue, and cytotrophoblastic cells have all been investigated. Numerous biomarkers or biomarker candidates that could distinguish complicated pregnancies from healthy controls have been proposed. Nevertheless, questions as to the clinically utility and the capacity to elucidate the pathogenesis of the pre-eclampsia and preterm birth remain to be answered.     

The Proteomics Big Challenge for Biomarkers and New Drug-Targets Discovery

In the modern process of drug discovery, clinical, functional and chemical proteomics can converge and integrate synergies. Functional proteomics explores and elucidates the components of pathways and their interactions which, when deregulated, lead to a disease condition. This knowledge allows the design of strategies to target multiple pathways with combinations of pathway-specific drugs, which might increase chances of success and reduce the occurrence of drug resistance. Chemical proteomics, by analyzing the drug interactome, strongly contributes to accelerate the process of new druggable targets discovery. In the research area of clinical proteomics, proteome and peptidome mass spectrometry-profiling of human bodily fluid (plasma, serum, urine and so on), as well as of tissue and of cells, represents a promising tool for novel biomarker and eventually new druggable targets discovery. In the present review we provide a survey of current strategies of functional, chemical and clinical proteomics. Major issues will be presented for proteomic technologies used for the discovery of biomarkers for early disease diagnosis and identification of new drug targets.     

聚酯型胶粘剂的成分分析

高温碱性条件下,利用化学降解方法将高分子化合物分离成小分子化合物。采用红外光谱分析和质谱法,对各组分傅立叶变换红外光谱和色谱/质谱联用的分析谱图进行解析,确定了胶粘剂中高聚物和助剂成分。结果表明,该胶粘剂是以聚酯型聚氨酯为黏合剂、炭黑为粉末填料的聚酯型胶粘剂。     

Direct Mass Spectrometry of Polymers

The analysis of polymers by direct mass spectrometry is reviewed, and the principles of the method and some experimental aspects are discussed. Both pyrolysis and desorption methods are described. The mass spectrometric method provides the characterisation of intractable materials and their detection at the submicrogram level; the simultaneous identification and detection of additives or oligomers contained in polymer samples; the identification of components of polymer mixtures, the sequential analysis of copolymers; the identification of the primary thermal fragmentation products of polymers. Direct mass spectrometry has been widely applied to the structural analysis of synthetic and natural polymers. Published work covers nearly all classes of polymers.     

Protein microarrays and biomarkers of infectious disease

Protein microarrays are powerful tools that are widely used in systems biology research. For infectious diseases, proteome microarrays assembled from proteins of pathogens will play an increasingly important role in discovery of diagnostic markers, vaccines, and therapeutics. Distinct formats of protein microarrays have been developed for different applications, including abundance-based and function-based methods. Depending on the application, design issues should be considered, such as the need for multiplexing and label or label free detection methods. New developments, challenges, and future demands in infectious disease research will impact the application of protein microarrays for discovery and validation of biomarkers.     

Surfactant analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to characterize nonionic, anionic and cationic surfactants. Rapid mass analyses can be achieved with proper choice of matrix material. The technique is suitable for development as a routine analytical tool.