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October 2005
Children's Research Institute News Brief
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Bernard L. Maria, MD, MBA
Executive Director
Darby Children's Research Inst. |
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Inderjit Singh, PhD
Scientific Director
Darby Children's Research Inst. |
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In this issue of Kids Connection, we highlight the Division of Infectious Disease and the great work of Drs. Johnson and
Fowler. Dr. Sandi Fowler has just received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for a new research project collecting spinal
fluid samples from children having lumbar punctures for diagnostic reasons. The plan is to analyze proteins within the spinal
fluid to define parameters of inflammation that could then be used as part of efforts to translate use of exciting new
compounds discovered in the Darby Children's Research Institute (DCRI) into clinical trials in children with brain inflammatory
conditions, such as encephalitis and brain tumors. Dr. Fowler is setting a wonderful example for pediatric physicians reaching
out to DCRI collaborators and resources by making use of our Proteomics Center expertise (Drs. Knapp and Baatz) and its technologies.
Proteomics refers to the study of the proteins produced by any given species, tissue samples (normal or diseased), blood, plasma,
serum, or cell line. Proteomic analyses of biological samples aim to determine the overall set of proteins involved in normal
cellular physiology or altered by a disease process, and involve a series of procedures that allow the identification of any protein
that may be relevant to any disease. Moreover, advances in machine learning and pattern recognition have rendered single biomarker
identification a special case of a more general (and accurate) identification of meaningful patterns of biomarkers (proteomic profiles).
Examples of proteomics are 1) Expression proteomics which is the measurement of protein levels in health and disease and 2)
Cell map proteomics which is the measurement of protein composition within specific areas of a cell to understand how each protein
is involved in specific diseases. These and other types of proteomic analysis promise to unlock the mystery of many diseases affecting
children and to devise new treatments to improve children's health.
Why do researchers study proteomics?
First of all genomics, which looks at gene expression, does not reveal function of the protein
derived from a specific gene. Second, with proteomics a researcher can study
tissue and cell-dependent protein profile (not fixed
as the genome is). Finally, protein expression patterns are dependent on developmental
stage and are influenced by environment, both
of which are important factors in determining the health of children.
When should proteomic approaches be considered in children's research?
If your research involves the study of proteins, proteomics
approaches may be applicable. If you already do 2D gel separations of your proteins
and need to identify spots on your gels, the MUSC
Mass Spectrometry Facility offers protein identification services.
Please contact facility director, Dr. Kevin Schey
or facility manager, Jennifer Bethard for more information.
If you would like to apply other mass spectrometry-based
proteomic approaches you may have read about or heard about
(e.g. MALDI profiling ["SELDI"] or liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry
approaches), MUSC is well equipped for these approaches, but the
Mass Spectrometry Facility does not yet offer these methods on a
service basis. Investigators using these methods are doing so via
their graduate students or postdoctoral fellows working in the facility.
To discuss how these approaches might be applied to your research,
contact Dr. Dan Knapp,
director of the MUSC Proteomics Center.
If you need help with 2D gel methods, contact Dr. John Baatz,
director of the MUSC Gel Proteomics Facility. This facility
offers 2D gel services ranging from consultation to actually running gels for you,
including differential expression gels (the "DIGE" method).
For links to the Web pages of the various proteomics facilities at MUSC,
see www.proteomics.musc.edu.
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