Mass Spectrometry-based Diagnostics: The Upcoming Revolution in Disease Detection Has Already Arrived

摘要

I read with great interest the editorial entitled “Mass Spectrometry-based Diagnostics: The Upcoming Revolution in Disease Detection” by Petricoin and Liotta (1). These authors provided provocative commentary on current and new mass spectrometry (MS)-based approaches in clinical chemistry related to detection and characterization of various diseases, with emphasis on proteomics and cancer diagnostics. They discuss MS as disruptive or nonlinear because of the excitement and fear that are generated by its use. The editorial correctly implies that the potential contributions of MS in clinical chemistry are staggering.I suggest that these authors have a somewhat narrow view of MS applications in clinical chemistry limited to their area of expertise. Furthermore, I would disagree somewhat with the statement that MS-based approaches are disruptive and nonlinear. Petricoin and Liotta omitted the extensive historic role of MS in clinical chemistry, including the numerous contributions and advancements in the previous two decades. Bruns et al. accurately describe the recent and important contributions of mass spectrometry and included timely manuscripts in the text, Molecular Testing in Laboratory Medicine (2). Dozens of other articles have appeared in Clinical Chemistry and other journals regarding MS applications in clinical chemistry, as evidenced in surveys of … [?][1]aAuthor for correspondence. E-mail petricoin{at}cber.fda.gov. [1]: #xref-corresp-2-1