Cancer Proteomics: A major interest of our group is to use primary patient tissues and relevant model systems (cancer cell lines, organoids, PDX) in combination with advanced proteomics technologies to gain novel mechanistic insights into cancer biology. Our discoveries are further investigated using classic cell and molecular biology approaches. In addition, we are motivated to make impactful contributions to the emerging fields of integrated proteogenomics and cancer systems biology.
Cell Surface Mapping: Plasma membrane proteins are essential mediators of cell signaling and cellular communication. Due to their hydrophobicity and low abundance they have been traditionally underrepresented in proteomic analyses. Our group has been developing proteomics methods for the comprehensive analysis of the “surfaceome”. We have initiated a number of programs that comprehensively map the surfaceome of relevant cancer models with the goal to identify novel targets for antibody-drug conjugates and for functional investigations.
Cancer Biomarker Discovery & Targeted Quantification: Our lab has been among the first to utilize expressed prostatic secretions (EPS), a tissue proximal fluid, for the discovery of novel prostate cancer biomarkers. We rationalized that this fluid contains prostate secreted and shed proteins in significantly higher concentrations as compared to blood, hence enabling the detection of novel protein biomarker candidates. Relevant discoveries are then evaluated in urine samples from prostate cancer patients implementing a novel quantification approach, termed Parallel Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry (PRM-MS).