Exploring proteome-wide CETSA for the discovery of translational biomarkers in the modulation of apoptotic pathways.

The Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) is the first broadly applicable biophysical assay for direct studies of effects of binding to proteins in cells and tissues. Since the first report, CETSA is now being widely explored for studies of binding of drugs in cells to their cognate targets, as well as off-targets.

In addition, Mass-Spectrometry (MS)-based proteome-wide CETSA is emerging as a game changing strategy for studies of cellular processes where physiological modulations of protein-protein, protein-metabolite and protein-nucleic acid interactions can be directly dissected in cells and tissues. MS-based CETSA therefore provides an exciting opportunity for the discovery of novel biomarkers for different cellular processes. Such CETSA biomarkers could potentially serve as downstream biomarkers for drug efficacy during drug discovery and development but also as diagnostic for personalized medicine when CETSA is directly applicable on tissue samples.

Olga Surova is currently a Field Application Scientist at Olink Proteomics, Sweden.