[6, 7, 83] Weichart’s work was eminent in illustrating the significant cellular changes before and after activation Selumetinib chemical structure of the highly noted NOD2 receptor. In Germany, Shkoda et al. described the proteome

of epithelial cells purified from CD, UC, and colon cancer intestinal tissue and used Western blotting as a validation tool.[84] Shkoda and colleagues reported a host of differentially expressed proteins between study groups involved in signal transduction, stress response, and cellular homeostasis.[84] Meuwis et al. published the first serum proteomic study of IBD in 2007, using surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization (SELDI)-TOF MS for the initial proteome scan, followed by extensive validation of proteins of interest using MALDI MS/MS, Western blotting, and ELISA assay.[85] The Belgium-based group compared serum protein profiles between CD, UC, nonspecific inflammatory, and healthy

controls, and validated four biomarker candidates, although the authors contend that all are known proteins of acute inflammation.[85] click here In the following year, Meuwis and colleagues followed up their study with a functional proteomics experiment—again using SELDI-TOF MS—to record the serum proteome of CD patients before and after infliximab treatment, and compare patients who responded and did not respond to therapy.[86] The researchers validated their previous platelet factor 4 biomarker candidate as being significantly higher in abundance in infliximab nonresponders compared with responders.[86] An Italian group of investigators recently presented two novel technical contributions to proteomics-based biomarker discovery studies in IBD. Firstly, Nanni et al. introduced a solid-phase bulk protein extraction protocol that included carbon-18 reverse phase, strong anion-exchange, and metal ion affinity LC techniques for maximizing protein yield from blood serum in 2007,[87] and in 2009, Nanni and colleagues demonstrated the use of a label-free proteome

comparison strategy that did not require isotopic labeling reagents (thus saving considerable cost in high-throughput experiments with many samples) that had not previously been employed in IBD research.[88] Most recently, several investigators have applied proteomic techniques in resourceful check details and innovative methodologies. M’Koma and colleagues profiled the proteomes of Crohn’s colitis (CC) and UC colonic mucosal and submucosal tissues with MALDI-MS, comparing histologically indicated inflamed and uninflamed sample areas both within and across CC and UC.[89] They found five unknown molecular species (identified by their m/z property) that significantly differed between the two colitides, highlighting the potential for MS-based biomarkers to aid diagnostic accuracy in clinically ambiguous cases.[89] In New Zealand, Cooney et al.