Mass Spectrometry-based Biomarker Services

Mass spectrometry (MS) is the technology of choice for large-scale proteomic profiling and targeted quantitative bioanalytical studies. Sensitive, precise, and accurate.

Its use is becoming more widely applied in clinical settings to identify and quantify biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.

Our team of scientists has years of experience developing and refining MS workflows for the identification, characterization, and quantification of biomarkers in clinical samples – all while applying GCLP principles and rigorous QA/QC.

Learn more about our complete suite of biomarkers development and validation services that expand beyond MS

CellCarta uses liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the unbiased profiling of large numbers of biomarkers.

Performed on high-resolution hybrid quadrupole/orbitrap mass spectrometers, and supported by robust statistical analysis, unbiased LC-MS/MS enables the detection and relative quantification of thousands of proteins in a single sample without the need for protein labeling.

The platform is compatible with a wide range of sample matrices including plasma, serum, cerebrospinal fluid, tissues, cells, etc.

Find out more about our Discovery Platform

Using Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM), our scientific team can develop custom panels to perform robust multiplexed relative quantification of up to 350 proteins.

This platform uses triple quadrupole or hybrid triple quadrupole/linear ion trap mass spectrometers coupled to upfront liquid chromatography, providing a high sensitivity and specificity.

Often used as an orthogonal approach following prior discovery experiments, this platform is ideally suited to rapidly assess large numbers of candidate biomarkers in multiple sample sets.

Find out more about our Targeted Platform

Leveraging the power of the MRM approach, CellCarta also develops and deploys customized assays for the absolute quantification of proteins for clinical applications and regulatory submission.

The panels can be set to measure clinically relevant biomarkers from diverse sample types, including readily available and stable FFPE samples.

Depending on your needs, the quantification of biomarkers in clinical samples can be performed with different levels of validation, under GCLP and CAP/CLIA environments.

Find out more about our Targeted Platform

Find out how we quantify clinically relevant biomarkers in fixed tissues

Off-the-shelf panels are available to facilitate rapid screening and verification of large numbers of candidate protein biomarkers.

For instance, our central nervous system (CNS) disease panel measures 142 proteins relevant to Parkinson’s disease and other neurological pathologies.

Developed specifically for the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), it requires only 75μl of CSF and is easily expandable to add other targets.

Other disease-specific panels such as cardiovascular diseases are also offered.

Read about our CNS panel in the following publication

Highly quantitative validated assays are also available to measure the expression of validated targets in clinical samples.

One readily available assay is the soluble B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) assay, used to monitor the expression of this biomarker in clinical plasma samples.

Find out more about our BCMA assay

CellCarta also offers a multiplex assay to quantify HER2 in FFPE samples, along with 11 other proteins relevant to various solid tumors. Validated in FFPE tissue samples from colorectal cancer patients, the following

12 proteins can be measured in a single assay: HER2, Ezrin, EGFR, AKT1, carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEACAM5), growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2), IL18, CDK1, tyrosine-protein kinase SYK, receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), Pescadillo homolog and proto-oncogene vav.

The assay can rapidly be customized to include other proteins of interest.

Find out how we quantify clinically relevant biomarkers in fixed tissues

These quantitative MRM assays are developed using a fit-for-purpose approach and are easily customizable to include other proteins of interest.