Direct Analytical Sample Quality Assessment (DASQ) for...

There are several important factors to increase the chances that a proteomic study based on CSF biomarkers becomes successful. For proteomics analysis, the standardisation of CSF collection protocols is a mandatory step to search and identify new biomarkers indicators of a disease status. This point represents a milestone especially when samples are collected and stored in different centres. There is the need to select and include, in biomarker research studies, only well characterized and high quality samples with a documented sample collection and handling. Our study undelines the importance of a standardized protocol, based on some specific procedure of sample collection and storage, in order to have a successful biomarkers analysis. Moreover, it has been highlighted how MALTI TOF MS analysis of specific proteins could suggest the selection of the best pool of samples for a powerful biomarker study. We retain that DASQ needs to be used to screen the samples to be enrolled in order to reduce the number of false positives in biomarker discovery. Due to the characteristics of MALDI, faster and less expensive than other techniques, this protocol could represent a first step in the qualitative screening of the CSF before biomarkers studies. New advanced techniques appear to be particularly promising for biomarker qualification and verification. Information about these CSF proteins can be used to develop multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) based analytical assays, which offersShow MoreRelatedDirect Analytical Sample Quality Assessment (DASQ) for Biomarker Investigation: Qualifying CSF Samples978 Words   |  4 Pagesunique window to search for new biomarkers and to improve early diagnosis of neurological diseases [1-3]. However, the complexities of the brain and human neurological disorders represent a severe roadblock to identify novel neurological biomarkers. A biomarker can be defined as a biochemical, pharmacological or physiological, indicator of a specific biological state or of a defined biological stage of an organism as represented in its characteristic specific sample. Such an indicator should be measurable