How Can Peptidomic Liquid Biopsy Be Translated into Clinical Diagnosis?
- Optimized peptide enrichment workflows for low starting volumes of plasma/urine, requiring only 0.5 mL of sample for analysis
- PRM-based targeted validation services enabling high-throughput verification of candidate peptides, compatible with multi-indicator integrative modeling
- Cross-omics integration combining proteomic and metabolomic datasets for pathway modeling and biomarker screening
- Customized analytical reports tailored to the needs of pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and academic institutions
Liquid biopsy, owing to its non-invasive, real-time, and dynamic monitoring capabilities, has gradually become an important approach for tumor screening, disease early warning, and therapeutic evaluation. Currently, liquid biopsy mainly targets nucleic acid- or cell-level information, such as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and exosomes. In contrast, peptidomic liquid biopsy offers a complementary approach with enhanced functional characterization. Analyzing bioactive peptides in body fluids uncovers protein degradation products and signaling molecules that accurately reflect physiological and pathological states, thereby opening new avenues for clinical diagnosis.
What is Peptidomic Liquid Biopsy?
Peptidomic liquid biopsy refers to the application of high-resolution mass spectrometry to analyze naturally occurring low-molecular-weight peptides in body fluids such as plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid, for the identification of disease-associated peptide biomarkers to support diagnosis or therapeutic monitoring. Unlike proteomics, which focuses on intact proteins, peptidomics emphasizes functional short peptides generated by enzymatic cleavage and processing, frequently involving critical physiological processes such as inflammation, apoptosis, and metabolic regulation.
Complementarity with conventional liquid biopsy approaches
Technical Core: Integration of Mass Spectrometry and Sample Pretreatment
1. Key Steps of Peptidomic Liquid Biopsy
(1) Sample collection and stabilization (to prevent exogenous enzymatic degradation)
(2) Peptide enrichment and desalting (e.g., C18 SPE, size exclusion)
(3) High-resolution mass spectrometry detection (e.g., Orbitrap or TIMS-TOF)
(4) Bioinformatics analysis and differential peptide screening
(5) Validation of candidate biomarkers (PRM/SRM targeted mass spectrometry, ELISA, etc.)
2. Technical Challenges and Corresponding Solutions
(1) Peptide instability: mitigated by protease inhibitors and rapid freezing
(2) Complex signal background: addressed by multidimensional chromatographic separation and internal standard correction to improve sensitivity
(3) High demand for quantitative precision: achieved by label-based quantification (TMT/iTRAQ) or targeted approaches (PRM) to enhance comparability
Application Prospects: Which Diseases Can Benefit?
1. Early Tumor Screening and Subtype Diagnosis
Several studies have demonstrated that endogenous peptide profiles in plasma exhibit significant changes even at the early stages of cancer, showing high specificity and sensitivity. For instance, certain pancreatic cancer–specific peptides are elevated during early disease progression, demonstrating superior performance compared with traditional tumor markers such as CA19-9.
2. Neurodegenerative Diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease)
Peptidomic analysis can identify β-amyloid–derived peptides and tau protein degradation products in cerebrospinal fluid, facilitating early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring, as well as enabling precise disease subtyping and drug response prediction.
3. Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases
Conditions such as heart failure, diabetes, and atherosclerosis are frequently accompanied by the activation of multiple proteolytic pathways. Monitoring these changes via urinary peptidomics provides a promising non-invasive strategy for tracking chronic disease progression.
MtoZ Biolabs: Peptidomic Liquid Biopsy Solutions
As a research service provider specializing in proteomics and metabolomics, MtoZ Biolabs has developed a highly sensitive peptidomic liquid biopsy platform with the following technical strengths:
With its distinctive functionality, sensitivity, and versatility, peptidomic liquid biopsy is emerging as an indispensable component of precision medicine. Looking ahead, the standardization of mass spectrometry techniques and the advancement of bioinformatics algorithms are expected to establish peptidomics as a critical clinical tool for applications ranging from disease early warning to therapeutic evaluation. MtoZ Biolabs will continue to provide a professional and reliable technical platform, partnering with researchers to accelerate the clinical translation of liquid biopsy technologies.
MtoZ Biolabs, an integrated chromatography and mass spectrometry (MS) services provider.
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