Search for a novel biomarker for the brain cancer astrocytoma by using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionisation (SELDI) technique.

The protein chip surface enhanced laser desorption/ionisation (SELDI) technique is a highly versatile analytical mass spectrometry system with considerable potential for detection, identification and quantitation of protein complex mixtures. Astrocytoma is a tumour of the astrocytes with a very poor prognosis. There is no effective biomarker system for detection of astrocytoma. The SELDI technique was used to study differential protein expression in astrocytoma cells in comparison to normal brain astrocytes. Several novel proteins were found to be expressed in the astrocytoma cells, not present in the astrocytes.