Therapeutic Targets for Melanomas Discovered Using 2D Gels

Potential therapeutic targets for melanoma tumors were discovered using two-dimensional (2D) image analysis and data analysis.

Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancer types in the western world. In a project to understand the interactions between the tumors and their native environments, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA, USA), U.S. National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH; Bethesda, MD, USA), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC, USA) studied proteins of melanoma tumors as they progress in vivo.

The scientists separated the proteins on 2D gels, and the resulting images were sent to Ludesi (Malmö, Sweden) for analysis using their proprietary image analysis system. Univariate and multivariate statistical tests were used to identify trends and co-regulation in protein expression. The results were validated by immunohistochemistry and immunoblots.

The study revealed the dynamic nature of melanomas, which highlights the need to study the disease progression at multiple time points for biomarker and therapeutic target discovery. Several potential therapeutic targets for cancer therapy were identified that had been previously unknown.

Ludesi is a provider of bioinformatics solutions to the life science industry and offers 2D gel image analysis as a service, reducing turnaround time and labor costs. The company offers the 2D gel image analysis on a pay-per-sample basis, together with a new image and data management software--Ludesi REDFIN.

Related Links:
University of Pennsylvania
National Institutes of Health
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ludesi