Tissue proteomics using capillary isoelectric focusing-based multidimensional separations

The capabilities of capillary isoelectric focusing-based multidimensional separations for performing proteome analysis from minute samples create new opportunities in the pursuit of biomarker discovery using enriched and selected cell populations procured from tissue specimens. In this article, recent advances in online integration of capillary isoelectric focusing with nano-reversed phase liquid chromatography for achieving high-resolution peptide and protein separations prior to mass spectrometry analysis are reviewed, along with its potential application to tissue proteomics. These proteome technological advances combined with recently developed tissue microdissection techniques, provide powerful tools for those seeking to gain a greater understanding at the global level of the cellular machinery associated with human diseases such as cancer.