Pierluigi Mauri
Institute for Biomedical Technologies, Italy
Title: Mass spectrometry-based approach for clinical proteomics
Biography
Biography: Pierluigi Mauri
Abstract
Today, mass spectrometry-based (MS) approach is the leading approach employed in high-throughput analysis. Moreover, the investigation of complex biological samples requires the development of computational tools for processing and handling the great amount of data produced by MS experiments. The recent development of gel-free proteomics approach is allowing a significant improvement over gel-based analysis. Specifically, at ITB-CNR proteomics laboratory, the gel-free MudPIT (Multidimensional Protein Identification Technology) proteomic methodology is used for biomarker discovery and developing clinical methods. Our workflow involves user-friendly tools for characterization of biomarkers and proteotypic peptides, useful for validation step. Specifically, to perform a rapid comparison of protein lists and estimation of differentially expressed proteins, MAProMa (Mauri et al, FASEB J, 2005) home-built software has been developed. It is based on a label-free quantitative approach and it allows the visualization of data in a format more comprehensible to biologists and clinicians(Park et al., Nat methods, 2008; Mauri et Scigelova, Clin Chem Med Lab, 2009). Moreover, the correlation of proteomic data by unsupervised learning algorithms is evaluated; for example, hierarchical cluster groups the protein lists based on information found in the data that describes the objects (proteins) and their relationships (Brambilla et al., JPR 2014). It will be presented technologies and tools to perform clinical proteomics studies involving different biological samples, for investigating human diseases, such as cardio-respiratory, degenerative and tumour diseases.