LC-MS/Proteomics: a platform for the identification and selection of drug targets

Conventional, hypothesis-driven biological research is conducted by studying the effect of a perturbation on a targeted cellular process. By using focused experimental analysis strategies, only a subset of the effects of such a perturbation can be explored, the large-scale implications having to be ignored. Proteomic technologies bring unsurpassed capabilities for generating a holistic view of the complex processes that control the growth and proliferation of a cell, and represent, therefore, a powerful approach for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of disease progression and response to therapeutic drugs. In this work, the potential of proteomic technologies, as completed on liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry detection (MS) platforms, for the discovery of networked drug-target clusters, as well as the implications for future drug discovery efforts, are discussed.