Mass spectrometry-based proteomics and its potential use in haematological research.

In the last decade proteomics has made great progress reaching throughput and comprehensiveness comparable to genomics technologies. Mass spectrometry plays a key role in proteomics and has become an indispensable method for molecular and cellular biology because many cellular changes in response to internal or external stimuli can only be detected at the proteome level. Furthermore, different from genomics which depends on the availability of DNA or RNA, proteomics is not restricted to cellular samples, but also allows the analysis of biological fluids like serum, plasma or urine. This article provides an overview of the recent developments in proteomics techniques useful for haematological research.