Proteomic analysis in cardiovascular diseases

1. Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in western countries. The molecular mechanisms responsible for heart dysfunction are still largely unknown, except in cases of genetic defects or alteration of genes and proteins. 2. The publication of genome sequences from humans and other species has demonstrated the complexity of biology, including the finding that one gene does not encode for only one protein but for several, due to mRNA splicing and post-translational modifications. 3. Proteomic analysis can provide an overall understanding of changes in the levels of protein expression. Differential proteomics is a powerful tool for improving our understanding of integrated biochemical responses. The main techniques used are two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-gel) and Surface-Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight (SELDI-TOF) to separate proteins associated with mass spectrometry. Bioinformatic tools make it possible to compare protein profiles obtained from diverse biological samples. 4. The combination of these approaches has proved to be particularly interesting for studying cardiovascular diseases and p improving our understanding of the mechanisms thereby involved and identifying new biochemical factors and biomarkers involved in these diseases.