Moving proteomics technologies into the clinics European researchers provided a revolutionary proteomics platform for the rapid screening of minute amounts of biological samples. This platform should find a plethora of clinical applications. Health © Thinkstock Proteomics analysis is one of the most powerful technologies to date as it can analyse the proteins within cells. However, the method involves time-consuming sample preparation steps and cannot be employed at the point-of-care where clinicians need rapid answers. 18-24 hours are required to deliver the result, a period that is not suitable for IVF procedures. In answer to this, the EU-funded PROT-HISPRA (High speed proteomics analysis (Prot-HiSPRA): solving the bottlenecks of proteomics technologies for time sensitive proteome driven medical decisions) project set out to develop a faster proteomics approach. For this purpose, they generated appropriate hardware and software, and optimised the sample preparation methods. Their activities focused on the secretome analysis of fertilised oocytes before implantation as a means of predicting a successful pregnancy. Researchers used columns as well as nanoparticle-based techniques to remove highly abundant proteins present in the culture medium and isolate the desired peptides for subsequent analysis. They developed novel hardware that facilitated peptide separation and digestion in a high-throughput manner. Subsequent analysis was performed by HPLC chromatography and the whole process now required only two hours. Overall, the PROT-HISPRA proteomics system has enormous potential to be applied in the clinic towards the analysis of various pathological samples. Given the functional importance of proteins in health and disease, a swift, easy and cost-effective device would facilitate a more accurate diagnosis. Furthermore, it could be utilised to monitor the course of treatment, minimise side-effects and improve the outcome of therapy. Keywords Proteomics, clinic, IVF, oocyte, hardware, secretome, nanoparticle
