Abstract
The translation of biomarkers from pre-clinical model systems to human conditions has proven to be challenging. One approach to this issue is through the use of a rapid, highly multiplexed, quantitative assay solution targeted at human proteins and cross-species orthologs. SOMAscan™, a high-throughput, multiplexed proteomic assay (Ver. 3 1100 protein analytes), simultaneously measures native folded proteins directly from small volumes of biological samples such as plasma, tissue or cell culture. A series of early experiments were examined in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) to identify translatable proteins in cell culture and mouse xenograft model systems as well as across human NSCLC tumor and serum. Drug sensitive and resistant NSCLC cell lines demonstrated profound differences in protein concentrations in response to drug treatment. Comparison of cell findings with tumor xenografts showed 22 (of 93) proteins in common. Experiments conducted in NSCLC clinical patients found 11 (of 44) proteins in common between human serum (n=291) and tumor tissue (n=8). Features of both known and novel biology were uncovered, providing implications for drug action and resistance as well as novel targets for drug development. Multiplexed profiling of large numbers of analytes using SOMAscan can successfully enable biomarker discovery and translation of findings between model systems and to clinical systems.