Characterization of the androgen receptor in a benign prostate tissue-derived human prostate epithelial cell line: RC-165N/human telomerase reverse transcriptase.

The majority of prostate epithelial cell lines stably expressing wild-type (wt) or mutant (mt) androgen receptor (AR) are derived from metastatic prostate cancers. Therefore, the wt AR-expressing RC-165N/human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) cell line derived from the benign prostate tissue of an African-American patient provides a unique opportunity to assess the functional status of AR in a cellular context not studied before. Although androgen-induced expression of known androgen responsive genes such as PMEPA1, and NDRG1 was observed in RC-165N/hTERT, this cell line expresses prostate-specific antigen (PSA) at significantly lower levels.

Looking for Thom's biomarkers with proteomics.

In recent years, large numbers of putative disease biomarkers have been identified. Combinations of protein biomarkers have been proposed to overcome the lack of single, magic-bullet identifiers of disease conditions. The number of biomarkers in a panel must be kept small to avoid the combinatorial explosion that requires very large, uneconomical sample cohorts for validation.

High-sensitivity blood-based detection of breast cancer by multi photon detection diagnostic proteomics.

We have developed several new methods for blood-based cancer detection by diagnostic proteomics. Ultrasensitive methods of immunoassay using multiphoton-detection (IA/MPD) increase sensitivity by 200- to 1,000-fold (1 femtogram/mL). This has allowed the measurement of cancer biomarkers with very low concentrations in blood that could not be measured for full patient cohorts with conventional immunoassays.

Ultra-sensitive immunoassays using multi-photon-detection in diagnostic proteomics of blood.

Multiphoton-detection methods that detect as little as 1000 atoms of (125)I-streptavidin increase the sensitivity of immunoassays by 200- to 1000-fold (1 femtogram/mL). Improved background suppression allows 20- to 100-fold improvements in sensitivity for conventional immunoassays (10-50 femtogram/mL). Quantitation of low abundance biomarkers in blood (PSA, TNFalpha, VEGF, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8), for the first time for complete patient cohorts, indicates that very high analytical sensitivity and new statistical methods are crucial for serum-based diagnostic proteomics.

Ultra-high sensitivity multi-photon detection imaging in proteomics analyses.

We report on the use of 125I and 131I labeling and of new, multicolor, multi-photon detection (MPD) methods to routinely and quantitatively detect protein spots on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis plates in the zeptomole to attomole range. We demonstrate that the MPD methodology can be used to detect radioactive labels on two-dimensional gels and has several characteristics that are advantageous for functional proteomics. First, by using single particle detectors, the sensitivity for detection of radiolabels can be improved dramatically.