An overview of urinary proteomics applications in human diseases

Abstract

A major challenge in clinical proteomics is the identification of reliable biomarkers that help early diagnosis of disease, which will not only assist the clinician but also contribute to the development of personalized medicine. Urinary proteomic studies provide information on urine composition along with insight into renal physiology, kidney disease states, and other associated diseases. In the past decade, technical advances in the design of highly sensitive mass spectrometers and accurate protein quantitation technologies have led to the application of urinary proteomics in diverse research areas, including basic biomedical and clinical sciences. Of specific interest is the identification of biomarkers by virtue of improvements in instrumentation, bioinformatics, and database development. Here, we review recent discoveries in urinary proteomics with respect to identifying novel biomarker, its current challenges, and potential for future research.