University of Illinois Cancer Center member, Alexandra Naba, PhD, pioneered the application of proteomics to study the extracellular matrix (ECM), the ensemble of proteins that make up the scaffold organizing cells, tissues and organs. She is also creator of the Matrisome Project website and the database MatrisomeDB, two major resources for ECM research used worldwide.
Naba’s Review of the Extracellular Matrix
In a review newly published in the journal Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, Naba, part of the Cancer Center’s Cancer Biology research program, reflects on 10 years of ECM proteomic research and describes the remarkable accomplishments of the field.
The review includes recent examples “illustrating how ECM proteomics has emerged as a powerful discovery pipeline to identify prognostic cancer biomarkers,” Naba wrote.
Naba also acknowledges the challenges that still limit the ability of scientists “to translate ECM proteomics findings into clinical application.” She further offers avenues to overcome these challenges and allow ECM proteomics to enter the clinical proteomics era.
Published online on March 12, the article in press has been fully reviewed and editorially accepted, and formally published as of the date of release, according to the journal website.